Just Clean It!
by SargeTJCalhoun64
Summary: To clean or not to clean, that is the question - especially when it is left to Ralph and Vanellope! What will Felix and Calhoun find when they return from their anniversary date?
1. Late for a very important date

"_I'm in the mood for love, Simply because you're near me. Funny, but when you're near me. I'm in the mood for love_"; Felix was humming contently to himself whilst trying to adjust his blue bow tie. It was as if the silky material had a mind of its own, thus it refused to be positioned where Felix wanted it to be. Unfortunately, this was something beyond his hammer– if he could, he would have solved the whole issue with a swift tap to his collar, but no. Instead, he was forced to wrestle man to tie and his battle with the infernal accessory had lasted at least fifteen minutes. A normal character would have surrendered to such an annoying adornment, but this little 8-bit handyman was not one to admit defeat – especially to a dickey bow. Finally, Felix began to get the upper hand and tweaked the infuriating decoration into place. With an exasperated groan, he ran a thoughtful hand through the parting in his smooth brown hair and slumped his shoulders, as if a great weight had just been miraculously lifted from them. Sighing, he fastened his golden hammer cufflinks to the sleeves of his freshly pressed shirt. These cufflinks had been his fathers and they seldom saw action, unless it was a very special occasion – tonight it was one of those nights. The bow tie, the cufflinks, the dozen pixelated roses he had picked from the NiceLand garden's – they were all in aid of his and Tamora's one year wedding anniversary. He sighed happily, musing over the love of his life, whilst returning the shoe polish to its proper place and altering his navy cummerbund. Satisfied, he glanced at the debonair being in the mirror before him. He smirked and gazed longingly at the gleaming golden wedding band on his finger. "_Tammy_…" he murmured fondly. Suddenly, his cerulean eyes caught a glimpse of the ticking contraption attached to his wrist. 7:25! 7:25! 7:25! It almost seemed to bark at him. He gulped and hastily pulled on his gloves. He was supposed to meet his gorgeous gal outside Hero's Duty at 7:30, and being the courageous leader of a squadron of simpering soldiers, she was always punctual. "_Jiminey Jaminy, I'm going to be late_!" he exclaimed, grabbing his jacket from the bed and running towards the door.

As soon as he burst through the door, he was taken aback by the sight unfolding before him. A crudely painted banner stating "Happy Anniversary Hammer Time and Sergeant Smiles" was draped across the ceiling and paint was still dripping from the sign onto his once clean tiled floor. The smell of burnt pie wafted uninvitingly up his nose and he reflexively gagged at the unpalatable aroma. Colourful glitter particles lay scattered across the floor and were encrusted on his new rug. Jagged pieces of paper and card were strewn across the table and bottle of glue was threatening to fall off the counter, its sticky substance already trickling out of the nozzle. Paper chains were haphazardly entwined around the bannisters, the table legs and were even taped the hood of the fish tank. Amidst all this chaos, a sheepish looking Ralph and Vanellope shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. "_Ha – ha happy Ann-iversa rr ry Ha mmer ttime_" Vanellope stammered, trying to keep her glitch under control. She handed the card she had anxiously been clutching to Felix, aware that his gaze lay on the surrounding mess. Mouth still agape, he scanned the card, partially understanding it was the reason behind some of the mess. On the front cover, there was a hand drawn picture of the Sergeant and himself, complete with stuck on google eyes. As he opened the card, he was confronted with a giant heart composed entirely of multi-coloured glitter. Felix gritted his teeth; a knot was forming in his stomach, in addition to the lump in his throat. He averted his gaze to the small squirming girl in front of him. Ralph cleared his throat and brought his giant hand from behind his back. "_Happy Anniversary Brother_" he smiled, unclenching his fist, to reveal what looked like the cindered remains of a heart shaped pie. "_I-I made this for you and the Sarge, you know in case you get peckish after your anniversary date… Mary gave me the recipe… it's blueberry your favourite… but you know, it didn't quite turn out the way I had planned_" Ralph stuttered, his cheeks growing redder by the minute. Dumbfounded, Felix simply stared at the singed remnants of the pie Ralph offered him. The word "inedible" immediately sprung to his mind and he wondered by the smell and appearance of the pie, what state his Kitchen was in. Felix did not what to do, as he regarded the two disconcerted individuals before him. He was so touched by their efforts, but simultaneously, he was aware he did not have the time to tidy up. However, Vanellope's beaming chocolaty eyes and Ralph's toothy grin, softened his frustration and he sighed in exasperation. "_T-thanks you two_" he murmured softly and hugged them both. Unfortunately, the ticking mechanism on his arm snapped him out of his reverie and the harsh reality suddenly began to dawn upon him. 7:35!. "_Oh my land… She's going to murdalise me! I'm so late! What am I going to do? The house is a disaster zone!_" Felix babbled uncontrollably, flailing his arms in the air. "_Felix, pull yourself together_!" Ralph exclaimed. "_NOOO Ralph_!" came the swift and maddened reply. Ralph and Vanellope shrunk back a little- they had never seen their little handyman so worked up. Felix realised how harsh his tone was and relaxed a little, seeing his surprised companions. "_Sorry guys_" he exhaled nervously. "_I just wanted everything to be perfect for Tammy tonight and now I'm late and I don't have time to tidy and and…" _he began babbling again. The wrecker started to fiddle with his giant thumbs, conscious of the fact that all of the mess was his and Vanellope's fault. Vanellope rolled her eyes and patted the sobbing hanyman on the shoulder. "_Cheer up Pie boy_!" she said in her sweetest voice. "_Stinkbrain and I will clear up, while you and Sarge have dinner. Problema solved_!" she exclaimed, beaming at her own ingenuity. Felix took his hands from his eyes. "_Really? You mean that_?" he asked, his tone practically dripping with cautiousness. "_Of course_!" she cried, waving her stubby hands in the air. Felix was aware that Vanellope was more prone to making mess than getting rid of it, but what other choice did he have? An angry wife? Or a wife with a temper off the Richter scale? Felix decided the latter would be the safer option, even if it did mean trusting a candy whirlwind and a giant wrecking ball with the task of cleaning his home.

"_Alright_" he smiled. "_Tammy and I should be back by 10:00, so the place better be in ship shape by the time we come back, Captain Von Schweetz_" he adopted a mocking but serious tone. Vanellope saluted and stood to attention. "_Ay Ay Sir. No fear with team 'clean it' on the job_" she giggled. Ralph said nothing, but stared at the overconfident girl in front of him. "_Thanks guys_" Felix laughed "_I know you won't let me down_". Ralph coughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. "_Y-yeah, well you go get em brother_" he said uneasily. "_Knock em dead_" Vanellope added, handing Felix his precious bouquet. Felix blushed slightly. "_I'll try_" he grimaced and grabbing his signature hat, he ran through the door.

As soon as he had boarded the train for Game Central Station, he realised what he had done. "_Oh my land, Ralph and Vanellope are going to tidy our house_!" he whispered to himself. However, he dismissed the frightful image he had conjured in his mind and focused his thoughts on the lovely time he was going to have that evening. "_Afterall, what's the worst that could happen_" he thought. "_Ralph is a mature adult and Vanellope understands the gravity of this situation; what trouble could they possibly get into_?"


	2. Can we clean it? Yes we can!

**A/N: I am so absentminded, I completely forgot about this part in Chapter 1 – my apologies. This is my first fan fiction, so I'm still getting used to the ropes. I hope you all enjoy this – If you do, please review.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Wreck It Ralph, it's characters or concepts and all other songs referred to belong to their respected artists.**

**Thanks for my reviews and everything else so far**

"_Nice going President fartfeathers" _Ralph muttered as he adjusted the strap on his overalls. "_What's the problem Ralphie?" _Vanellope exclaimed, turning towards her companion. _"In case you hadn't noticed Chica, I'm a Wrecker, I don't clean things up, I add to the mess. Cleaning is something these ham hands are not meant for" _he cried and clenched his fists together. It was moments like this he really wanted to pummel the ground in frustration, but this was obviously out of the question seen as it was now their priority to clean not destroy. "_Oh c'mon Ralph, how hard can it be_?" she replied, un phased by his outbreak. "_How hard can it be_?" he repeated. "_Kiddo, that's what you have willing serfs like Sour Bill for. I guarantee, you have never cleaned anything in your life_". Vanellope chuckled; "_Oh yeah, says who_?" she retorted. "_Uhh, me. Tell me __**one**__ thing that you, not any of your candy coated chums have cleaned and I will take back everything I said_" he smirked, knowing how willing all the citizens of Sugar Rush were to pamper their precious President. Vanellope developed a scheming expression. "_Pfft, that's easy_" she grinned. "_My teeth_!". Ralph slapped himself across the forehead. "_You are so sharp you will cut yourself one of these days kid_" he smiled, ruffling her hair fondly. Vanellope glitched out from under his hand. "_Thank you Jeeves_" she beamed. She skidded through the kitchen, through to the utility room. Ralph looked befuddled when she returned laden with an arsenal of cleaning utensils. "_Uhh, Ralph a little help here_!" she squeaked before collapsing in a dishevelled heap on the floor, under the weight of dustpans, brushes and mops. Ralph sniggered as he leaned down to help the little girl. Vanellope stood up and brushed herself down. "_Look Ralph_" she sighed; "_I only wanted to help Felix out. He is always so willing to help other people with their problems, I just thought in this situation we should return the favour_". Ralph tried his best to supress a grin, as Vanellope adopted an almost sincere and mature expression. She snickered; "_That and the fact that we caused the mess and Sarge will skin him alive for being late AND leaving the house in a mess_". She ran back to the utility room. Ralph slumped his shoulders and sniffed. "_You can't argue with logic_" he mumbled incoherently.

**WIR WIR WIR WIR WIR WIR WIR WIR WIR WIR WIR WIR WIR WIR WIR WIR WIR WIR WIR WIR WIR **

"_No way kid, __**here**__ I draw the line_" Ralph held his giant palms up in protest. Vanellope chortled, ignoring his complaints. "_Well, we have both stepped out of our comfort zones Gladys, why stop here_?" she giggled, holding up an apron. Vanellope was already wearing Felix's "Kiss the Cook "apron and had just rolled up her sleeves. "_Absolutely not, there is no way I am wearing Calhoun's apron – It's too small!_" Ralph shook his head determinedly. "_Pretty Please_" she fluttered her long, thick eyelashes at Ralph. He tried to avoid her gaze, but one look in those eyes and his firm resolution melted like butter. "_Fine_" he grumbled, unfolding the apron. He grimaced and his face turned a lovely shade of red, as he read the front: "Mrs Good Lookin, is Cookin!".Where on earth did they get such embarrassing cookery wear from?. He popped it over his head, not bothering to tie up the sides. Vanellope cackled with glee. "_Now for the finishing touches_" she glitched onto Ralph's shoulders and quickly tied a scarf to his head. Ralph figured any further complaints would just delay the work, so he decided to grin and bear it. After fastening a stripy scarf haphazardly upon her own head, Vanellope seized a mop in one hand and a bucket in the other. "_Att-ttention_" she clicked her heels together and straightened her back. "_Listen up, cause I'm only gonna say this once_" Vanellope paced the floor, mimicking the words and actions of her favourite female role model. "'_Clean' is a four.. no ! __**five**__ letter word lady; you wanna go pee pee in your big boy slacks…_" she paused trying to calculate her next witty step. The silence was nearly killing Ralph, who was fit to burst from laughter. Vanellope screwed up her face in concentration as the gears in her mind began to buckle under the strain. "_Umm…Just DON'T cause you will add to the mess on the floor_!" Vanellope proclaimed triumphantly. Ralph could hold it in no longer and hooted with laughter. Vanellope pouted and stuck out her bottom lip "_Ralph, this is serious. It's make the Fix It's proud time_!" she cried.

"_Now, collect your weapon and prepare for battle_!" she indicated an array of brushes and other implements. Ralph grabbed a dustpan and brush and raised them high above his head. "_To team Clean It!_" he exclaimed, mocking Vanellope's performance. "_Hey, you're mimicking me_!" she frowned. "_Cleaners of the world unite_" Ralph continued ignoring her disapproval and clacked his brush against Vanellope's. "YEAH!" she yelled and returned the action. "_Can we clean it?" _Ralph questioned, arching one eyebrow. "_YES WE CAN!" _ Vanellope screamed at the top of her lungs. After all this mental and physical preparation, the pair turned and faced what could be their toughest challenge ever – not tackling man eating Cybug's or other ferocious enemies, but simply Mission Clean It. Ralph gulped surveying the chaos around him; "_So… where do we begin?"_

**A/N: Hope you picked up on all the references – manipulative phrase freak here.**

**Don't forget to Review if you like the story! **


	3. I'm forever blowing bubbles

**A/N: Hi guys, here is the next instalment. Thank you for all my support so far.**

**_Sassymouse: _****I did have fun writing those lines – made me laugh a lot too!**

**_Jarretsoon: _****Hi! Great to hear from you. Ummm… yeah, I had a feeling about the format. It looked so different when I pasted it up. I did try and change it before I got your review, but the computer wasn't playing ball. Hopefully, all my further chapters will be more legible. **

Ten minutes later…

"_Ralphhhh! This is so boooring!" _ Vanellope's whines resounded through the house.

She had just finished collecting up all the discarded bits of card and paper, which had been scattered liberally across the floor. No response came from Ralph. She turned round huffing in annoyance.

"_Hey Stinkbrain, where are you?" _ she questioned. Still no answer. Sighing to herself, she dropped her bin bag and went to look for Ralph. It wasn't long before she came across a pair of enormous feet and some rather hunched up shoulders.

Ralph's head was completely inside Felix's oven and many grunts and groans were emerging from inside. He was trying his very best to remove the black charred stains, which had been the inevitable result of his culinary failure. "_How much mess can one pie make?" _He thought to himself as he scrubbed with caution, aware that if he applied too much pressure, the Fix It's would need a new stove. To reduce the chance of this happening, Ralph had selected a smaller brush, but in doing so, the job was taking twice as long. His face was streaked with grease and Calhoun's apron was going to need a jolly good wash afterwards.

He moaned in frustration. Soapy suds spilled across the floor as he re dunked his brush in the bucket, unaware of the new presence in the kitchen. Vanellope giggled at Ralph's uncomfortable position as a naughty idea sprung into her mind.

"_Hey Chumbo!" _ she cupped her hands round her mouth and bellowed into the oven. Startled, Ralph sat up, forgetting his head was in the oven.

BANG!

"YEOW!" he cried, rubbing the side of his head. "_What did you do that for kid?" _ he complained, flashing a look of pure annoyance at Vanellope.

"_Just trying to get your attention. No need to get so worked up about it?" _ She stuck her tongue out, adjusting her apron. A small smile danced upon her lips.

Ralph sighed. "_Sorry booger face" _He smiled, his rosy cheeks covered in a mixture of soap and ash. "_I'm just trying to avoid any further damage"_ he sat up properly and plunged his brush into the pail. He resumed his scouring duties carefully.

"_I know what you mean" _she plonked herself on the floor next to Ralph and began playing with the bubbles in the bucket. She cautiously scooped out a few handfuls of bubbles while Ralph was focusing on the oven. She quickly smeared them across her face and slumped against one of the cabinets.

"_Look Ralph. I'm Beard Papa" _She waved her arms in the air with excitement. She then folded her arms pretending to be asleep. "_Mmmm… cream puffs" _she murmured, mocking the sleepy sentry. Ralph sat up again and stared at the foam covered child in front of him. He smirked.

"_I suppose that's one way for you to take your yearly bath" _He clutched his throat, gagging on an imaginary odour. Vanellope pursed her lips, fighting the urge to laugh.

"_Hey, you are the stinkiest brain ever! Have some bubbles!" _she chortled and threw some of the foamy lather at Ralph. He coughed and spluttered, as he inhaled the soapy substance. "_Hey kid, ceasefire!" _he choked with laughter, holding up his enormous palms as a shield and an act of surrender. Vanellope ignored his protests.

"_What's that? I couldn't hear you cause your breath is sooo bad!" _she chuckled. "_You need to wash your mouth out"_ she continued to splash the foam and water at him. Ralph realised words were getting them nowhere, so he retaliated, gently splattering the giggling mass in front of him. Vanellope proceeded to splash vigorously.

"_This is humanity's last soap!" _ she spluttered trying to keep a straight face, whilst soaking Ralph. "_Our mission: Clean Ralph!". _She grabbed a wash cloth from off the counter and having immersed it in the pail, she threw it straight at Ralph.

THWACK!

It hit him full in the face. Taken aback by the shock, Ralph kicked out in surprise. His giant foot caught the bucket and sent the rest of the contents flying towards Vanellope. She had no time to react to the sudden jet streaking towards her and all she could do was shriek.

SPLASH!

The drenched child simply stared in shock, as water trickled down from her body. Fortunately, there hadn't been a huge amount of water left in the pail, so she wasn't completely sodden. She removed the scarf from around her head and wrung it out onto the floor. Having succeeded in pealing the cloth off his face, Ralph gazed at the soaked child in front of him.

"_Oh dear, I think its game over Miss President" _he grinned as he straightened up and arched his back. Vanellope looked so comical with droplets dripping from her face and bubbles covering her small figure. He watched as a small puddle started to form by her feet.

"_I suppose so" _ she shot him a small smile and placed the scarf back on her head. "_Hey, at least you face is clean now" _she pointed at Ralph's gleaming shiny face. Ralph got up and admired himself in the door of the oven.

"_Not bad" _he murmured, placing a finger on his shiny face. All traces of dirt and grease had vanished from his phizog. Vanellope had indeed carried out her mission with success. "_Although next time, must you take such extreme measures kiddo. I'm a very obliging man y'know"._

_"Nah, it's more fun my way" _she replied. She cast her eyes down at the sodden floor and sighed. "_Suppose we better get rid of this soapy saturated mess". _Ralph saw her face fall as she went to retrieve the mop. He felt this sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, as he acknowledged that they were really beginning to add to the mess. Vanellope had had the best intentions at heart, but he could see this was no job for a kid. It was downright monotonous for him- for her it must be soul destroying. Well, maybe that's slightly exaggerated, but he knew it must be tedious for her. Still, they had promised Felix they would clean up for him and Vanellope was certainly one for sticking stubbornly to her guns, never wanting to shy away from a challenge. He rubbed his soaked scalp thoughtfully; _How could he make this more interesting but less destructive? _He was brought out of his musings when he heard Vanellope softly singing to herself.

"_ N, Got to mop up yet again…" _she hummed tunefully whilst rhythmically moving the mop up and down the tiles. Suddenly, he had a brain wave. Of course- why hadn't he thought of it before? He scrambled hurriedly to his feet and bolted to the door.

"_Hey Ralphie, you are not deserting your post are you?" _ she arched an eyebrow and placed one hand on her hip.

"_You just carry on with the floor and maybe get out of those wet clothes" _he called.

"_Uhh Ralph? In case you hadn't noticed, I didn't bring a spare set with me!" _ she shouted back in frustration.

"_Just borrow some of Felix's or Calhoun's, I'm sure they won't mind"_ That was the last thing she heard before the door slammed and Ralph could be seen running down the streets of East Niceland.

Vanellope was left alone, puzzled and confused. _Why on earth would Ralph dart out of the house? _ She shrugged her shoulders and continued to swab the deck. _I'm sure all will be revealed, soon enough, _she thought to herself.

Meanwhile…

Ralph ran down the street, his heart beating furiously in time with his feet. THUD THUD THUD! After a short amount of time, he came to his own cosy home and threw open the front door. He cast his eyes through his front room, which was extremely untidy in itself. You don't live in a dump for 30 years without being affected by it!

_Now where it could it be? _He asked himself and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He began routing through a pile on the floor. _NO NO NO NO! _ Various items went flying over his shoulder as he searched frantically. He relaxed slightly and he caught sight of a crumpled box in the corner. AHAH! _Maybe it is in there, _he wondered. He shuffled hopefully towards the box and glanced inside. _ An unwashed shirt, a rubber duck, a pencil, a tooth brush… _ Then, underneath the mound of miscellaneous items, he saw what he had been looking for. He seized the item and brought it up to the light, whilst blowing a thin layer of dust of the front.

_BINGO! _

He smiled happily to himself, clutching his precious find.

**A/N: Dun Dun Dun! I love leaving cliff hangers. Anyhow, I also love reviews, so tell me what you think.**

**Honeyglows abounding! x**


	4. Can't take my eyes off you

**A/N: Hola amigos, next chapter has just landed! I also noticed a typing error in chapter 3. Vanellope is supposed to sing "****_ N, got to mop up yet again" (lik R, jump into your racing car - sad attempt, I know), _**** but only the N appeared in the version I submitted - *face palm***

**_Jarretsoon: _**** Thanks for your feedback and encouragement. Again, my apologies for previous formatting – all better now! I really enjoyed presenting Ralph and Vanellope's father/daughter relationship – glad you liked it.**

**_TheSoundOfAwesome_****: GASP! *clutches cheeks filled with Honeyglows* Thank you so much for your compliment's – they really made my day! The thing is… I actually speak like this (I know… GEEKY). I don't like to sound unnatural when writing, but I do enjoy using language. I hope I don't disappoint you after such a kind prediction! * feels pressure mounting*….**

**Anyhow, Have some candy… I mean Hero's cuties!**

"_I'm so late, I'm so late, I'm so so late!"_

Felix chanted worriedly to himself as he hopped out of the train leading from Fix It Felix Jr. The old rickety train had been playing up again, which had added to his delay. To be fair, it worked considerably well despite its age, but every now and again, age took its toll on the cranky wheels and tardiness was inevitable. Unfortunately, it chose tonight, of all nights to act up. Felix glanced down at his watch, wishing that time had been frozen for the last 10 minutes, so he wouldn't be too late for their romantic rondevu.

**7:45**

Nope

Time hadn't stood still for him. He ran anxiously through the portal in Grand Central Station. Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light and an alarm went off. A blue hologram quickly appeared.

"_Name?" _ a monotonous voice rang out. Felix stopped abruptly in his tracks, his heart beating furiously.

"_Oh c'mon Surge, I'm in a real hurry."_ he panted rapidly, hoping the Surge Protector would make an exception. It was really only once in a blue moon a good guy set the security alarms off and of course, it had to be tonight. Naturally, Felix felt _everything_ and _everyone _was conspiring against him.

"_Sorry Sir, but when a character triggers an alarm, it's my job to investigate"_ he put his pen to his clipboard, not looking up. "_Now, Name?" _ he questioned.

"_Fix it… wheeze… Felix Jr" _ he gasped, clutching his precious bouquet to his chest.

"_Where are you heading?" _ Surge continued.

"_Hero's duty" _

"_Anything to declare?"_

_"If you don't let me go now, it's possible I won't return to my game alive!" _ Felix cried frantically.

"_Fair enough, proceed!" _

Surge vanished from sight, leaving Felix to collect his deranged thoughts and hurry across the station. _It's no wonder Ralph can't stand those guys_ he thought to himself, whilst trying to skirt round the busy station. Hoards of colourful characters formed a barricade and as Felix darted round, he wondered how much grovelling his wife would require from him. After what seemed like hours of running, he finally stopped at the entrance to Hero's Duty. He looked round for his wife, but she did not appear to have arrived. He let out a sigh of relief and gladly caught his breath. Looking down, he saw his bow tie had become crooked again. He twiddled it round and smoothed down his slightly wind swept hair. Amazingly, the bouquet had survived his mad dash and was none the worse for wear.

He heard the train pull into the Hero's Duty station and assumed his dynamite gal was on board. He straightened his back, adjusted his shirt collar and brushed down his trousers. Felix thought he heard a high pitched wolf whistle and in response, a resounding slap echoed across the room. A rather shocked Markowski stumbled out of the door, almost tripping over his own feet. Eyes watering, he rubbed his cheek and groaned painfully. Removing his hand from his face, he revealed a very angry red blotch. Felix gasped in surprise.

_"Oh my land!" _ Instinctively, he reached down to his belt and took his hammer out.

"_Here let me help you"_

Markowski silently nodded; his lip trembling, his cheek throbbing as he bent down to Felix's height. Just as he was about to tap Markowski's pulsating mark, a bellowing voice made him jump almost literally out of his skin.

"_You will __**NOT **_ _lay a finger on that good for nothing cry baby!"_

Markowski winced in fear and leapt to his wobbly feet. Felix also cringed as he recognised the owner of the enraged voice.

His wife.

Obediently, Felix placed his hammer back in his tool belt and stared shamefacedly at his feet. Markowski wasted not a second and shot off like a speeding hare into the frenzied hullabaloo of Game Central Station, frantically muttering some inaudible apologies. Felix continued looking at the floor, wishing it would just open and swallow him up. He shuffled round nervously, anticipating his cruel and merciless fate. He took his hat off his head and gulped uneasily, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. The silence was stifling.

"_FIX IT look at me!" _ the stern and threatening voice commanded.

He blinked fearfully, awaiting the same punishment as Markowski. _Oh well _ he thought; _no sense in postponing the agony. _

"_Yes ma'm" _ he whispered timidly, lifting his head up and opening his bright blue eyes. He braced himself for the blow, tensing his small body.

Suddenly, he was quickly hoisted up by his shirt collar and before he had chance to respond, a pair of soft lips were pressed roughly against his own and he was crushed in a fierce embrace. He willing melted into his wife's firm hold and returned the passionate kiss, wrapping his arms around her. Breathless, they somewhat reluctantly parted from their intense lip locking. Felix rested his forehead against hers and placed a hand on her smooth cheek, her cerulean eyes producing a heated gaze. He shivered slightly.

"_Jiminy Jamany…." _ Felix finally managed, feeling a sudden flush of honey glows fill his cheeks.

"_Hi Tammy"_

"_Hi Felix"_ she spoke softly, a small smile playing on her lips. They stayed like this for what seemed like eternity, neither one of them willing to end the moment and return to reality. It was almost as if the world around them had just faded away and they were the only two individuals in existence. Finally, Tamora broke the silence.

"_Man, I needed that" _she let out a breathy sigh of relief and relaxed her hold on Felix, placing him gently on the ground.

"_Tough day hun?…" _ he murmured fondly.

She nodded slightly. "_You have no idea"_

It was then Felix finally took in her attire. He had been so preoccupied, he hadn't noticed the dramatic transformation that had taken place about her person. Felix jaw dropped in amazement- to him, the goddess Venus, in all her glory was standing before him. Tamora had swapped her usual heavy duty armour for a figure hugging, floor length, black strapless number. The dress emphasised her slender and hour glass figure, matching harmoniously with her well-proportioned and voluptuous curves. Instead of her normal hand protection, she had donned a pair of long satin gloves. Her boots had been replaced by some elegant low heels. She had even put a subtle amount of make up on, emphasising her the colour in her cheeks and lips. Her eyes, a glimmering azure of lapis lazuli were heightened by dainty crystal jewellery. Her thick, curled ebony lashes fluttered as she brushed her soft, blonde bangs out of her eyes. There was a hint of apprehension about her normally confident personality - one could tell she was not used to dressing in this manner.

Felix stood perplexed, mouth agape, eyes wide with wonder. He couldn't take his eyes off her. It was then he felt his temperature start to soar as the honeyglows spread like wildfire across his face. He adjusted his shirt collar nervously and brought the bouquet out from behind his back. The pulsing radiation from his scarlet face was so intense, that some of the flowers began to wilt under the exposure. already, they had been severely squashed by their sudden hug. He let out a dopey sigh, as a lovesick smile stretched across his beaming face. Little 8 bit hearts started forming and popping around his head, as he stood in his dazed state, ever so slightly swaying backwards and forwards.

Tamora smirked, bemused by her husband's antics.

"_Like what you see pint size?" _

She mischievously placed her hands upon her curvaceous hips, posing whilst enjoying Felix's reactions. She stuck her leg out daringly, revealing a trailing gape in the dress and partially exposing one of her bare long legs. Felix's eyes nearing fell out of their sockets, as he continued to ogle the beautiful woman before him. He nodded slowly, practically on the verge of drooling. Finally, her words brought him out of his fevered trance.

"_Good, cause I feel like the dinner of a dog"._

Sharply, he returned from his reverie, placing his hat upon his head.

"_Golly Tammy no! Don't say that, you look positively…." _ He paused before purring dreamily.

"_Dynamite…" _

A slight blush crept across her pink cheeks and she struggled with the urge to squeeze all the air out of him. Affectionately, she tipped the front of his hat over his eyes, bending down to whisper softly in his ear.

"_Flattery don't charge these batteries y'know"_

He lifted the brim of his hat, a somewhat sly smile drawn out across his face.

"_Oh, but I know it does ma'am"_

She pecked him lightly on the cheek.

"_You really know how to treat a woman, don't you Fix It? Even one as hard and as bitter as me"_

He held the sad and droopy bouquet out to her, embarrassed by the state of the flowers. Nonetheless, he stuck his small chest out and crossed his arms, in a smug fashion.

"_I make it my __**DUTY **__ma'am. Especially cause I know within that hard shell of yours, there is a soft nougaty centre" _ his voice was laced with cheesiness. He didn't care if anyone was witnessing the sappy scene between them.

Tamora could no longer master her feelings. She tossed the practically dead bouquet aside, hauled her husband skywards and hugged him so tightly, he squeaked in surprise.

"_Little flatterer" _ she chuckled, nestling her head against the brunettes shoulder.

"_I do my best"_ he planted a small kiss atop her nose.

Felix would have been quite happy to postpone their dinner plans and return home for some cosy snuggling, but a small voice in the back of his mind reminded him that Ralph and Vanellope had taken it upon themselves to clean the house before their return. Plus, he also appreciated the amount of time and effort Tamora had put into her apparel. She was obviously uncomfortable wearing a dress, but she had brushed these feelings to one side, recognising how special the day was for the both of them. He knew she would never admit it, but she felt somewhat vulnerable without her bulky armour. Getting her to wear more comfortable clothing round their house, had not been a problem; but in public, she liked to keep up her tough demeanour and enjoyed the respect that accompanied it. But at this moment in time, with Felix contained in her vice like grip, all evidence of her harsh front seemed to have disappeared.

Unbeknownst to Felix, Tamora also would have been more than willingly to re arrange their plans for another night. After a tough day of game play, all she really wanted now, was to huddle under a blanket with her husband on the sofa and enjoy each other's company. However, she was also aware how difficult it was for them to get reservations at _Extreme EZ Livin 2 _– they had to book their table a month in advance. And most importantly, she hadn't got all dolled and dressed up, to just spend the evening in!

Reluctantly, she placed him on the floor again and cricked her fingers, assuming her normal air of command.

"_Alright, enough with the goo goo 've got a dinner to go to, which we are __**late **__for"_

**Late**

The word brought Felix back to his senses. Taking her hand in his, he slowly led her out of the portal.

"_Sorry for making you wait hun. We had to do an emergency perimeter check , so I had extra dirt to scrub off myself – it all went downhill from there. You weren't waiting too long, I hope?"_ she questioned.

Felix knew he had been running late as well, but instead of admitting it, he simply smiled innocently. No need to tell her about his little arrangement with Ralph and Vanellope, due to the stubbornness of his bow tie.

"_No, not long at all"_

She seemed pleased as they padded across Game Central Station. Her presentation earned several gasps of awe from other characters as they set out for _EZ Livin. _She flicked her bangs to one side, ignoring the looks admiration flooding her way and squeezed Felix's hand tightly. He gave her a reassuring glance, gazing up adoringly at his priceless treasure. He bit his bottom lip, as curiosity got the better of him.

"_Tammy…"_

_"Yes Felix?" _she looked down at him.

"_What happened to Markowski?"_

She clenched her fists, forgetting Felix's hand was trapped within one of them. Gritting her teeth, she muttered various obscenities under her breath. Felix gulped, wishing he had kept his mouth shut. She was facing an internal battle, trying to think of the right way to phrase the bumbling toe rags impudence.

"_Tammy?..." _

She glanced down into the worried eyes of her husband. With resolution, she smiled.

"_He got what was coming to him"_ she finally proclaimed.

"_Oh" _

Felix was less than satisfied with her reply, but he tried not to let on. She realised this and sighed.

"_Let's just say... He has yet to learn how to treat a woman"_

Felix looked slightly baffled for a while, revelling in the mysteries of his wife's words. Remembering the shrill wolf whistle he had heard, his face broke out into a wide grin.

_Ouch_.

He thought about the shiner Markowski would have in the morning - No one could pack a punch like Tamora.

He sighed. At least he was the one person who had done nothing so far to incur his wife's wrath.

So far...

**A/N: Gah! I think I may have gone OTT with character descriptions, flowery language and general fluffiness, but I love these two so much.**

**Please write a review if you like my work – I enjoy reading and receiving them.**

**Honeyglows abounding! x**


	5. Girls just wanna have fun

**A/N: Hi guys, sorry for the wait – I've been on holiday (took my Fix It Felix Jr plushie with me!) Again, remember the typing error in Chapter 3 (****_CLEAN, got to mop up yet again = my lame Sugar Rush Song parody)_**

**_Gaby: _****I promise there will be more Hero's Cuties in this story – so hang fire. I have more Hero's Cuties stories planned for the future as well**

**_Lily Von Schweetz: _**** Aaw thanks ever so much for your kind review. Perfect is such a lovely word - especially when someone uses it to refer to your writing *blushes* **

**_Sassymouse: _****Glad you liked CH4 so much. Calhoun has been my favourite character to portray so far and I did enjoy writing the episode with Markowski. It's great to hear you are enjoying it and your reviews are very encouraging!**

**_UmbreOn: _**** In terms of Felix and Calhoun… my sentiments exactly! I'm glad you feel the same way. I'm just aware some people don't like fluff overload – can't get enough of this pair though!**

**Enjoy the next instalment and please leave me a review if you do!**

-**WIR**-

_Okkayy…. Here goes nothing_

Vanellope gulped, cautiously pushing open the door to Felix and Tamora's bedroom. She jumped slightly when it creaked, swinging open under her hand. She paused, wondering what dishevelled state Felix had left the room in. After such a hurried departure, he must have left it in an unkempt mess. In Vanellope's opinion, if one is in a rush, it is not physically possible to leave somewhere in a tidy fashion. Mind you, it was hard for Vanellope to leave anywhere tidy- she meditated on the state of her own bedroom. She started to open her eyes, imagining clothes and other articles strewn across the chamber.

_This is gonna be another great big mess..._

Mentally, she prepared herself for the inevitable and flicked on the light switch.

Evidently not.

She surveyed the room, scrutinizing every corner, frantically searching for visual imperfections. Pleasantly surprised, she heaved a sigh of relief.

Not a thing was out of place.

To her, Felix was just one of those people who would never be understood. How the room was in such an immaculate condition under the circumstances, was purely unfathomable to the small child.

_Clean freak _

There were just no other words Vanellope could use to describe Felix's habits. It was no wonder he was so upset when he saw the mess that she and Ralph had made. He must have been on the verge of a mental breakdown. Mind you, if he ever saw the state of Ralph's house, he would probably have little 8-bit kittens.

_Maybe that's why he and Sarge don't pop down to "The dump" more often … __It probably comes down to having an all rules and regulations wife …_she pondered for a moment.

Little did she know how wrong she was. If anything, Tamora was the complete opposite of Felix, which was a source of great amusement for them. She would have quite happily left her pyjamas sprawled across the bed sheets or her personal artefacts scattered across her dresser. Military effectiveness and efficiency was her priority on the front line, but at home, she liked to unwind and shrug off the heavy responsibilities of her game. For her, untidiness was not a major issue; but for Felix, it was a heinous crime. He liked order and that way, he felt in control and ready for anything that happened to come his way. During his bachelor days, the Nicelanders would frequently drop in on the friendly handyman and although they respected the fact that he was now a married man, years of unexpected visits had rubbed off on him. Consequently, Felix liked to keep a home which was constantly prepared for the onslaught of guests. Secretly, he knew he could do without the strain of keeping everything spick and span, but as a hero, he had a reputation to uphold.

Of course, all this was unknown to Vanellope, who was still standing at the entrance to the door, mouth slightly agape.

_Drip…. Drip_

She looked down at the small puddle forming at her feet, remembering why she had been forced to venture into their bedroom in the first place.

Oh yes... she was **soaking** wet.

She padded lightly across the room, resounding squelches echoing her footsteps. Glancing down, a trail of wet footprints was following her. She sighed and headed for the en suite bathroom in search of a towel.

Placing her small hands on her hips and shaking her head, Vanellope chuckled.

The bathroom was in the same untouched state.

_Those two…._

Everything was properly aligned and where it should be. Vanellope even noted that every bottle was shelved according to brand, height and colour.

_Really Sarge, that's bordering on the obsessive… _ she scratched her head, dumbfounded.

Unbeknownst to the small child, this was another one of Felix's little quirks. Again, he liked everything to be categorised accordingly and this often subjected him to his wife's unrelenting teasing. Tamora would frequently and deliberately leave her own products in the wrong place, just to see her little handyman huff and puff, frantically assigning the bottles to their proper places. What really ticked him off though, was when she would leave bottle tops not quite shut. She did this constantly for her own amusement, as Felix would scurry round like a busy bee, checking all the bathroom containers and twisting them shut. Undoubtedly, Tamora had been programmed with a mischievous streak and Felix had to bear the brunt of it.

Vanellope grabbed a neatly folded towel of the rack in front of her and started to dry her face. Looking up in the mirror, she started to undress herself and dropped her clothes in an untidy pile on the ground. The little president thought nothing of dumping her attire on the polished floor. When she did it in her own palace, all items needing a wash got swept away by the magic laundry fairy: aka, Sour Bill.

A sense of relief flooded into her, as she cast aside the sodden garments. She was pleased to find that her underwear had not been touched by the water, as her hoodie and other clothes had taken most of the impact. She finished drying herself off and threw the towel on the floor as well, making a mental note to clear it up later. Right now, her priority was to get into some dry clothes and resume her cleaning duties. She bit her lip – she knew it wasn't going to be easy finding clothes to fit, when you had to borrow some from a tall, well-proportioned soldier or a grown male midget just a few inches taller than yourself.

_Oh well, here goes… _ she thought.

-**WIR-**

Vanellope started to rummage through Tamora's top drawers, hoping to find something she could wear. So far, she had been largely unsuccessful as the older woman was well built in the chest department. Thus, every top she had tried on had sagged, almost drowning the poor girl completely. Everything Vanellope had tried on had been tossed upon the bed, in yet another dishevelled heap and the pile of clothing was really starting to mount up. Exasperated, she pulled out another item from Tamora's drawer. Drawing it out, her mouth nearly hit the floor in surprise.

_"Sweet mother of monkey milk!" _ she exclaimed, holding the garment up.

"_You could fit a couple of jaw breakers in that thing!" _ the child dangled the item in front of her eyes in disbelief.

One of Tamora's bras.

Vanellope peered at the label, whilst clutching onto her silky find.

"_30 HH…. " _ she mused over the foreign inscription

" _Well, she must be 30 years old and the HH must refer to her chest rating: Hugely Humungous!" _

Satisfied with her ingenious deduction, she pulled back the elastic straps of the brassiere and catapulted it onto the bed, uniting it with a pile of other failed garments. She delved further into the drawer, digging out more of the Sergeant's private lingerie and flinging it on the floor. Moving onto the next drawer, she noticed another alien type of apparel.

Suspenders.

"_Wowww…" _

She scrutinised the item in her hands. Fiddling with the small red bows and black embroidery, she wondered what Calhoun used this strange contraption for. She screwed her face up in concentration and stared solidly at the unusual object. Seconds later, the answer dawned upon her and a small smile lit up across her face.

"_Of course, this is Sarge's version of a work belt!" _she proclaimed triumphantly.

"_These clippy things must be what she ties grenades and guns to" _

Her respect for her favourite female role model had just increased tenfold. The naïve little girl already thought the Sergeant was the coolest thing going since super jumbo snow cones, but being able to carry weaponry in such a subtle and stylish manner, well… that just put the icing on the cake. It was then Vanellope had a brainwave.

She skidded into the kitchen, still leaving a trail of footprints and grabbed some cleaning utensils. She scurried back into the bedroom and started to put her plan into action. Placing the suspenders around her waist and clipping it into place, she commenced tying an arsenal of dusters, cloths and a spray gun to the dangling straps.

"_Oh yeah…" _

The smug child placed her hands on her hips and started to strut round the room, copying the moves of the much loved Sergeant. Vanellope greatly admired the feisty squadron leader, so to be wearing her supposed battle gear was just an opportunity too good to miss. Plus, Tamora would never see her parading about in her pants and gun belt (or suspenders in this case!)

"_Take that filthy bug!" _ she shouted, drawing the spray gun out of its novel holster and squirting water at the imaginary insect.

"_Ahh haaa ! Thought you could sneak up on me, did ya? Eat plasma cannon!" _

Vanellope turned round and fired at the invisible flying creatures, looming behind her. The result was a rather drenched mirror. She watched the water droplets cascade down the glass and drip onto the dresser. In the proper western style, she blew on the nozzle of the supposedly steaming water gun and tied it back onto the suspenders. A bottle on Tamora's dresser caught her eye. Carefully, she picked it up and examined the label.

" _J' a–adorrrr-eee. E-au de To-to-il-ette… Toilet!" _ she pronounced with some difficulty

Scrunching her face up in confusion, she wondered why on earth the no nonsense Sergeant would want a perfume that reeked like a toilet. Shrugging her shoulders, she reached an inevitable conclusion.

"_I guess it's what comes of being part of a game called Hero's Doody!" _

She giggled uncontrollably, clutching her sides in glee. Wiping a small tear of laughter from the corner of her eye, she realised she was still standing in her underwear. Placing the bottle carefully atop the cabinet, she resumed plunging into the drawers. At last, she found a black shoe string top belonging to Tamora. Although, it was too big for the small girl, she decided to just get on with it. However, something to cover her hind quarters was proving more difficult to find.

She resolved to search through Felix's cupboards, seen as he was more her size and by this stage, she didn't really care anymore about what she wore. After some more serious poking around, she came to something she thought would be a good idea to have on.

Felix's swimming trunks.

They were a pastel shade of blue and were printed with small golden hammers, which formed an intricate pattern all across the material. Vanellope frowned as she held them up and sighed.

"_Oh well, I guess they are at least designed for getting wet" _she determined and pulled them up.

They were a perfect fit.

She adjusted her cleaning belt and posed in front of the mirror, fingering her newly found weaponry. Listening attentively, she figured Ralph had still not returned. With a final glance at the comical being in the mirror in front of her, she started to put back some of the clothes she had flung across the room

A monotonous chore and something the little President was used to people doing for her.

She picked up her own wet clothes and hung them on a radiator in the bathroom, hoping they would be dry before the Fix It's returned for the evening. Wiping the floor with the already damp towel, she threw it across the room, scoring a bulls -eye in the laundry basket. Years of throwing rocks at pendulous Mento stalactites had blessed her with a good throwing arm and consequently, she was a crack shot.

She then proceeded to stuff the clothes back into their proper places – Vanellope style. As a result, bits and bobs hung haphazardly out of the drawer, where they had been obviously forced in by the impatient Princess. Due to the lack of attention Vanellope paid to her task, some items were shoved into the wrong cabinets, whilst others were just repeatedly crammed into tight overflowing spaces. She huffed in displeasure.

"_To think that some people do this all the time, for a job and __**enjoy **__it" _she grumbled, whilst simultaneously ramming one of Felix's once ironed shirts into the drawer.

Sifting through the last few crumpled garments on the bed, she came across Tamora's brassiere again. A naughty thought crept into her mischievous little mind, as she carefully fingered the stretchy straps. An impish grin widened across her face as she hopped over to Calhoun's drawers once again. She slid open the drawers and smiled.

_Socks_.

Vanellope precariously loaded a pair of Tamora's socks into the cups of the bra, took aim and fired it across the room.

_TWANG!_

Vanellope chuckled: **That **was fun

She took another pair, positioned them judiciously and shot them into a waste basket.

**This **is fun.

She glitched over to the En -suite bathroom, placed three bottles of shampoo in a row on the side of the bath and then returned to the drawer. After grabbing plenty of ammunition, she flattened herself against one side of the bed and stealthily poked her head out over the top.

"_Kohut, do you read me? I've tracked down a whole load of roosting Cybug's_ , _I think I'm going to need some back-up"_ she spoke in a hushed tone into her imaginary radio.

Sticking her little head out once again, she quietly pulled back the bras elastic straps and fired at her new targets.

_Bang! Clatter! Wallop!_

The bottles fell into the tub with an almighty crash. Vanellope punched the air in victory.

"_One small shot for a President, one giant calamity for a Cybug" _she cheered, waving her new catapult in the air.

Immediately, her tone grew serious and her pupils widened in feigned surprise.

"_Uhh ohh… Kohut, I think we have a problem. The nest has just exploded with life! I'm outnumbered a gazillion to one, hurry up with the reinforcements!"_

Vanellope cried out in alarm, shielding herself from the bombarding beasts. She had become an expert in the field of imaginary games, on behalf of her previous outcast status. Being a glitch, she had spent the majority of her time alone and if she had wanted to play, she had been forced to invent games, characters and situations in the world of make-believe. Subsequently, the little girl had a very active imagination and did not hesitate to exercise it whenever possible. As she now possessed the powers of presidency and had become best friends with her loveable wrecker, she seldom had time to lose herself in the world of make- believe and to a certain extent, she missed it. A chance like this came by once in a blue moon and Vanellope was certainly not going to pass it up.

She resumed loading pair after pair of socks into Tamora's bra, firing them haphazardly round the room. Some became lodged atop wardrobes, some went behind cupboards and Vanellope had even managed to get a pair entangled round the ceiling light. The little girl couldn't care less for the consequences – she was having too much fun.

"_Mayday Mayday, do you copy? I'm under heavy attack!" _ she screamed at the top of her lungs, whilst trying a stifle a giggle.

Her novel catapult was suddenly transformed into a makeshift slingshot and she started to whir her weapon around her head, freshly replenished with fabricated footwear.

"_PEW PEW PEW" _ she mimicked the sounds of heavy artillery fire.

All of a sudden, her improvised slingshot unintentionally collided with the edge of a vase.

**_CCCCRRRASSSSHH!_**

Vanellope stopped dead in her tracks.

_UHHHH OHHH!_

That sound of a falling minor third was all it took to mirror her worries.

She turned to face the music, or rather the broken vase. Fearfully, she opened her eyes, fully expecting the entire lamp to be shattered into a million little pieces. Breathing a sigh of relief, reality came as a somewhat pleasant surprise.

It didn't appear to be broken.

Cautiously, she picked up the lamp to return it to its proper position and noticed the damage that had been caused. There were several small cracks in the base and as she cradled it carefully, a few fragments broke away in her hands. She huffed in annoyance

"_Oh Jelly beans!"_

Collecting her thoughts together, she rushed over to the radiator her clothes were draped upon. Knowing she had already made a mess in the dining room with the actual glue, she decided to use the next best thing.

Gum

She removed a packet from her hoodie pocket and began to chew the sticky substance frantically, as if her life depended on it. She hadn't completely forgotten that she was in the bedroom of the best repairman in the arcade and fixing it properly would never be an issue for him, it was just… she didn't want to confess how exactly the vase had become broken. However, she played around with the conversation she would have in her head.

"_Umm… yeah Hammertime, I broke the vase by using your wife's bra and socks to get rid of an onslaught of imaginary raiding Cybugs – the vase unselfishly sacrificed its life for our troops"_

She paused

_"Or how about… Sarge, unfortunately when used as a catapult, your lingerie veers a little to the left and the vase happened to be in the wrong place, at the wrong time"_

She smirked, shaking her head in disbelief.

"_Yeah, as if they would buy those excuses"_

After replaying this internal dialogue, she pulled a wad of gum out of her mouth, oozing it between her fingers. Raising an eyebrow, she eyed the adhesive material and the damaged vase in front of her.

"_Am I really about to use bubble gum to repair this possibly priceless pot?"_

Remembering Felix's previous outburst, it took all of two seconds for the decision to be made for her.

_Yep_.

Sitting cross-legged on the tiled floor, she gathered the shattered sections of the porcelain vase into a pile. The gum was a shade of vivid pink and it would have been a blindingly obvious crack filler, if not for the fact that the vase itself was composed of a delicate pink and cream floral pattern. This certainly worked to Vanellope's advantage; for at the end of the day, she was a nine year old trying to mend a dainty container with a clump of gum. Sighing, she drew out a strip of gum and joined a broken section back the original vase. She held her breath and waited to see if it would hold. Those precious seconds seemed like eternity to the excitable little girl, but it lead to a pleasing discovery.

Bizarrely, it seemed to be working.

Vanellope allowed herself to exhale once again and began to work furiously on the reparations, knowing that Ralph was bound to return at any time. Truthfully, she didn't really want to admit to him that she had been playing with Sarge's bra, which had ultimately led to this trail of destruction. That would just be too much for one supposedly uneventful evening. Brushing herself down, she admired her two minute handiwork.

_Well, it was passable_

The sticky substance seemed to seep out of the previously spilt sections of the vase, threatening to reveal itself to the owners of the house. Thankfully, it was holding together, in spite of the fact that it had been reconstructed in less than five minutes, using only bubble gum and childish will power. Vanellope eyed it suspiciously, concluding that as no one would be looking for flaws in the design, they were unlikely to come across her handicraft. Running a thoughtful hand through her newly dried hair, she decided the safest thing to do would be to carry on with the job she had promised Felix they would complete

**_Cleaning_**

Very gently, she set the vase back in its proper place and filled it with the authentic blooms, which were sprawled across the floor. Still not satisfied, she turned the vase slightly, so the repair work wasn't immediately visible as soon as one entered the room. She adjusted her suspender tool belt and left the bedroom. She had completely forgotten about Tamora's bra, which hung limply from the bathroom door knob and the many pairs of socks hiding around the room, waiting for their eventual discovery.

Trudging into the lounge, the first thing to catch her eye was the glitter infused rug, which lay sparkling under the artificial lights. She blew a raspberry to herself and pulled up Felix's novel swimming trunks.

"_I guess here is a good place to start"_

Seizing a sweeping brush in one hand, she set to work. It was a vain attempt to remove the encrusted glitter particles from the detailed rug, but her mind had wandered elsewhere. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the supreme ruler of _Sugar Rush_ wasn't the teeniest weeniest bit concerned about the results of her mischievous antics. The last thing she wanted was to be on bad terms with her newly found family. Sighing, she unsuccessfully continued to glean the glitter from the rug, whilst losing herself in thought. Shrugging her shoulders and musing quietly, she reached a somewhat profound truth in light of the latest sequence of events.

_Girls just wanna have fun._

-**WIR**-

**A/N: This chapter was a longer than I originally planned, but I hope you all enjoyed seeing how much mischief Vanellope got into during the short time Ralph was away. Light will be shed on his findings soon and hopefully the title will become clearer– I do like a bit of suspense! As for the perfume referenced… I thought Calhoun would have a sophisticated taste in terms of cosmetics. Plus, J'adore is my favourite too!**

**Anyhow, I'm feeling peckish…. Some lovely reviews would fill me up :D**

**Honeyglows abounding! x**


	6. Flash! Ah - ahhh

**A/N: Ahoy there! Chapter 6 coming into port! Enough with the nautical nonsense…**

**_Lily Von Schweetz: _**** Thanks! I like the new picture of Lily and I'm so happy to be on your friends list *claps hands excitedly***

**_Emmz: _**** Couldn't agree more… kids + cleaning = BAD IDEA! **

**_UmbreOn: *rubs hands and chuckles* Don't you just love Vanellope?_**

**Here goes nothing!**

**-WIR-**

Vanellope glared at the inanimate object before her, her hazel eyes blazing furiously. She paced the floor in circles, as if interrogating the odious root of her annoyance. The hemming and restrictive atmosphere created by her incessant marching and the muffled ticking of a clock in the background, would have been enough to send anyone present into a deranged state of madness. She turned sharply and in her most authoritative voice, she spoke to the culprit.

_"So you wanna play it this way, do you?"_

From her tone and mannerisms, one might assume she was addressing a disobedient child or a misbehaving animal. In reality, you couldn't be further away from the truth. Indeed, all of her frustration was in fact being directed at a single piece of furniture.

A rug.

It's not that she didn't like the pattern, the colour or even the fabric. She could live with all of those. To put it simply….

She could not find a way to remove the glitter from it!

She had brushed it, tried to use sticky tape and had even attempted to use the hoover, until she accidently sucked up an eraser she had dropped and the tubular nozzle had become jammed! Therefore, all of these methods had inevitably been unsuccessful. Holding her head in her hands, she furrowed her eyebrows in exasperation.

_Why oh why did I use glitter in that card?_

She remembered making the card for the Fix It's and Ralph asking her almost the exact same question. Closing her eyes, the memory came flooding back to her.

***Flashback***

"_You sure you wanna use glitter kiddo? Cause that stuff goes everywhere and y'know, this is Felix's house – you can't trash it like your own" _Ralph had quizzed her.

"_Oh relax Chumbo, I got it all under control!" _

She had ignored his protests, opening the pot containing the shimmering substance.

"_Be careful Van…"_

Abruptly, she had cut him off, annoyed that he was still trying to interfere with her glorious creation. Wryly, she stuck her nose in the air and gave him a knowingly smile

"_Hey Ralphie, do you smell burning?"_

Ralph froze in horror, as he quickly became overwhelmed by the reality of the situation.

"_THE PIE!"_

Like a destructive tornado, he sped into the kitchen before becoming engulfed in the emerging vapours. Swirls of black smouldering smoke were rising out of the oven and covering Ralph from head to foot. Frantically, he waved his giant palms around, trying to see through the sweltering haze. He gagged reflexively as the fiery fumes wafted up his nasal passages, imprisoning his senses in the unsavoury fog. His eyes stung and he could feel tears forming due to the heat. Wafting his enormous hands, he turned the oven off, seized a nearby tea towel and proceeded to open the door. As to be expected, this made the problem worse, for the smoke gushed out like a rampaging river once Ralph had breached its floodgates. Instinctively, he pushed the door shut, trapping the unpleasant aroma. Leaning against the counter cabinets, he ran a sweaty hand through his untameable hair. By now, it completely baffled him as to why the smoke alarms hadn't gone off, alerting the house owner to his culinary disaster. Maybe, luck was on his side after all. It certainly hadn't been up till now. He reminisced on Mary's advice.

"_Don't worry Ralph, cooking is very straightforward. As long as you follow the instructions and keep an eye on the pie, all should go smoothly"_

**_Smoothly_**

Mary obviously hadn't thought about Vanellope, who had provided Ralph with a veritable distraction during the entire cooking process. He loved the little kid like a daughter, but just sometimes, she was more a burden than a blessing.

Ralph shuddered and prepared to open the door once again. He stuck his chest out and braced himself for his inescapable fate. Beads of oily sweat trickled down his forehead, partially due to the heat emissions, but also on behalf of fear. His nerves of steel were beginning to buckle under the strain. He knew he was a wrecker and he wasn't programmed to be a creator, but maybe, just maybe, there had been a reversal of fortune and the pie had survived the ordeal. Gingerly, he opened the door and peered into the wavering mist. Before the smoke had chance to unfurl, Ralph grabbed the tray and slammed the door, hoping it wouldn't break under his hand.

Thankfully, it still seemed to be intact. Releasing a shaky breath, Ralph peeked at the heart shaped baking tray he was still nervously clutching, willing it to be alright. Reality hit like the slap of a wet kipper.

_Nope._

Ralph had hoped the pie would come out crisp, brown and tender – just like Mary's always did. Instead, he was forced to accept the actual state of his own honest attempt at cookery.

_Well, it was certainly crispy…_

He gazed at the cindered remains of the pastry. It was so burnt, that the middle had actually caved in, exposing the once succulent blueberry's, which had been tainted by the blight of overcooking. Ralph grimaced, pressing one giant finger on the crust. It disintegrated under the pressure of his oversized digit. Gazing at the singed remnants of heart shaped pastry, he wondered whatever possessed him to make the benevolent gesture. With extreme caution, he scooped the charred pie out of the baking tray and set it gently to cool on a rack. Steam was still rising from the seared dish, but Ralph thought it best to leave it for a moment, before he made the situation worse – if it was possible to make it worse.

Meanwhile….

Vanellope stared into the pot of glitter, mesmerised by the iridescent particles before her. Blatantly, she had ignored Ralph's previous protests, determined to use the glistening flecks in her card.

_I'm sure Felix will appreciate my craftsmanship, he's always so encouraging…_

Reassuring herself, she reached for the glue. She had expected the gloopy adhesive just to trickle gradually out of the nozzle and flow into a nice even pool – just the way she wanted. Unfortunately, this was not the case. She squeezed the bottle gently, to ensure a steady current of the gummy material.

_Nothing happened_

Perplexed, Vanellope compressed the container a little harder, willing it to submit to her authority.

_Still nothing_

Frustration started to well up inside the exasperated little President, as she resisted the urge to stamp furiously upon the stubborn bottle. She shook it gently, in an attempt to move the supposedly runny liquid around the container. She squeezed it again.

_Nada_

Disgruntled, Vanellope seized the obstinate bottle and shook it violently. Unfortunately, she chose that precise moment to apply a little pressure to the container.

**_SPLURPPPP_**_!_

Whoops_!_

Vanellope could do nothing, but watch helplessly as a fountain of glue sailed through the air. It managed to land on a nearby wall and window, as well as all over the table. Glue was cascading down these vertical surfaces, threatening to drip on the , the card she had been making seemed untouched by the sudden onslaught of adhesives.

_I'll clean it up later… _she thought to herself, relatively unfazed by the whole occurrence.

Carefully, she scooped some of the spilt glue off the table and spread a little onto the card.

_A little un-orthodox, but it saves me having to clean all of Felix's walls_

Now came the tricky part. The most romantic emblem the small child could think of was a heart – so she had determined to make one ….composed entirely out of multi-coloured glitter. The inner voice of reason kept bringing Ralph's cautionary words to the forefront of her mind. Yet again, the headstrong individual chose to neglect them, proceeding to fold a piece of paper into a funnel like shape. Quivering slightly, she steadily started to pour some the glitter into her makeshift filter and watched as the shimmering waterfall settled amidst the splodges of glue. Ceasing the colourful microscopic flow, she admired her handiwork.

_It had worked_

She released a somewhat ragged breath and began to pour the excess glitter back into the pot. For Vanellope, success was sweet and was to be savoured accordingly. She knew it was immature, but she really wanted to show Ralph just how well her card had turned out, to ever so slightly rub her achievement in his face. Sibling rivalry would be the best way to describe her conflicting emotions. Full of anticipation, she glanced at the clock.

_7:20_

Befuddled, she looked again, wondering if perhaps she had been mistaken the first time.

_7:20_

_Gee Felix, That's cutting it a bit fine…._

She knew the resident handyman was supposed to meet his military Missus at 7:30 and normally, he was overtly punctual, when it came to this sort of thing.

_What had he been doing in that bedroom? Repapering the walls? All he had to do was have a quick shower, bung some clothes on and move his molasses over to Game Central Station. It's not rocket science._

To Vanellope, grown-ups were mystifying creatures, often beyond comprehension. As far as she was concerned, there was no need to get dressed up if you were only going to go out, gorge yourself and dance round until you vurp all over the place! Life made perfect sense to her, but as she would remain in a state of eternal childhood, the importance attached to occasions such as anniversaries, would probably stay unfathomable. Either way, Felix had been a long time in that bedroom. Vanellope was certainly not complaining, as this delay provided her with valuable time to put the finishing touches to her card. Sticking a set of googly eyes to her roughly sketched picture of Felix and Sarge, she sighed contentedly.

_Voila_

Certainly, it was no Picasso, but the little girl was pleased with it. She started to clear away her arts and crafts, in preparation for surprising Felix. Suddenly, disaster struck.

_BANG!_

Vanellope literally jumped out of her skin as the noise from the kitchen reverberated deep within her code. She glitched in shock and reflexively thrashed her arms out, as if she was ready to face this hidden assassin. Unfortunately, her glitching fingertips swept the open pot of glitter clean off the table. Her jaw hung open in horror as the shimmering sprinkles scattered far and wide, landing on none other than Felix's **new **rug. As the glittery mist came to rest, she could do nothing, but sit like a gaping goldfish and think of the consequent trouble she would encounter.

To make matters worse, Ralph chose that precise moment to come bumbling out of the kitchen, practically tripping over his own two feet.

"_How's the card coming Kiddo?" _

She glanced up, trying her best to arch a smile across her worried face.

"_Ummm… just dandy Ralph my man – nothing to worry about here"_

She could feel the small beads of perspiration forming across her forehead. She knew lying was always wrong, but the well-known couple: pride and fear, left her no other option. Adjusting her collar nervously, she figured changing the subject would be the best way to escape from her current dilemma.

"_So… how's the pie looking?"_

In response to her question, Ralph shuffled from foot to foot somewhat sheepishly, before reaching up to scratch the nape of his neck. Vanellope couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something had changed with regards to his general demeanour. It was as if he too was hiding something…

"_Uhh… Peter Pepper couldn't have done a better job himself!"_

With such a bold statement, all Vanellope's previous concerns should have vapourised – but the little President was less than convinced. She had found Ralph's Achilles heel, his weakness and determined to cling onto it. She decided to pursue the answer, in order to postpone her own problems. However, Ralph was also unsatisfied with Vanellope's brash comment and before she had chance to reply, he beat her to it.

"_Vanellope… is there something you are not telling me?" _

He stood hands on hips, squinting at the feisty little girl

"_Nope" _

She cursed herself inwardly, knowing full well that the speed of her reply spelt trouble.

"_Vanellope?" _

He narrowed his eyes, casting them across the room. Ralph was like an animal – he could smell fear. Subconsciously, she averted her gaze to the rug, praying Ralph hadn't noticed. He picked up the deft movement in her eyes and followed her gaze.

"_VANELLOPE!" _

***End Flashback***

"_Vanellope! Vanellope! Vanellope!"_

The incessant chanting of her name suddenly snapped her out of her reverie. Breathing rapidly, she visually scanned the room, wondering whether she was still enveloped in her memories. Suddenly, the silhouette of a familiar figure came into view.

Her endearing companion had returned.

**-WIR-**

Ralph panted, his enormous chest heaving up and down in exhaustion. He wasn't designed for running manically around: his bulky form denied him the option. However, he had been aware that leaving Vanellope for any amount of time **alone** could bring about untold disaster. He clutched his precious find anxiously to his chest, as he quickly surveyed the room. As far as he could see, she hadn't caused anymore mess. Still exhaling furiously, he looked at his best friend and mustered all his strength not to roar with laughter.

"_What on earth are you wearing kid?"_

He pointed a chunky digit at the child, whilst trying his best to supress a grin. Vanellope was puzzled for a moment before she realised Ralph had not witnessed her change in attire. Glancing down at Felix's novel swimming trunks, she sighed half-heartedly.

"_Look wise guy, they were the only things that fit!"_

Ralph bit his lip, a faint snigger escaping from his mouth. Suddenly, he caught sight of something else about Vanellope's persona.

"_Why are you wearing suspenders Vanellope?"_

He indicated her makeshift tool belt. Vanellope's eyes widened in glee, as she launched into a detailed explanation of her new apparel.

"_Ooh… Is that what Sarge calls them. They are sooo awesome! I always wondered how she managed to carry so many types of guns and other killing stuff. Well, I knew she must have some sort of tool belt or something… and when I found these, I thought it saved me having to pace back and forth fetching all the cleaning stuff. I can go get one for you if you like… they are very comfy!"_

She babbled unremittingly, proudly displaying her new tool belt to Ralph. He had struggled to follow her relentless chatter, but as he caught the gist of her conversation, he threw back his head and roared. He had been dying to laugh since he first beheld her, but he had channelled his energies elsewhere. But now, he had been forced to submit to his humorous master and there was nothing he could do to stop it. His frame racked with laughter and the sheer force was on the verge of crippling him. Creased with laughter, he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. Vanellope eyed him somewhat suspiciously.

"_What's so funny?"_

Ralph looked into her beaming eyes. Her childish naïveté practically shone out of those chocolaty coloured pupils. He regarded her affectionately, realising he simply didn't have the heart to tell her what Tamora really used that mystifying device for. Sighing, he scooped her up into a bear hug and held her close.

"_C'mere you!"_

The wiggling form huffed and shuffled uncomfortably round in his arms, slightly taken aback by the sudden surge of emotion Ralph was displaying. She clutched her throat, gagging from her imaginary lack of breath.

"_Uhh… Is Ralph in there? I'd like to speak to him please! I am suffering from a lack of __**AIR! **__Plus, you are gonna dent my plasma cannon…ehh, I mean spray gun!"_

Vanellope squirmed around, finally glitching out of his embrace. Ralph chuckled and ruffled her hair affectionately. Remembering her generous offer of his very own tool belt, he stifled another snicker, wondering how to phrase his reply.

"_Ummm… no thanks, much as I would love one Kiddo, I think I'll pass. Don't wanna cramp your style now, do I?"_

Ralph smiled, satisfied with his swift response. Vanellope narrowed her eyes, assuming her normal impish grin.

"_I don't think you could pull off the look as well as I do Ralphie!"_

Smugly, she adjusted her belt, pouted and started strutting around the room. Ralph shook his head in disbelief – for once, he would pass up the challenge. This was something he was not accustomed to doing, but the last thing he wanted, was to prove to a child how debonair he looked in suspenders. No grown man should have to endure that!

Vanellope suddenly stopped mid strut to face her chum.

"_Anyway Ralph, what had you hurtling out of here faster than a gazillion volt lightning bolt?"_

Ralph was rendered speechless for a brief moment, stunned by the fact that Vanellope used something other than sarcasm. She had obviously been spending more time with Calhoun and her absurdly complicated collection of metaphors, most of which were beyond Ralph. He smiled knowingly.

"_I went to fetch something to help us with the job"_

_-_**WIR-**

**A/N : The suspense... Dun Dun Dunnn! **

**Lame title, I know, but the chapter is partially about flashbacks (kinda works). Not the most exciting section, but the background information will be useful in future - big hint. Anyhow, you can send me some reviews while you wait in suspense - you know you want to!**

**Honeyglows abounding!**

**x**

**PS. For those who don't know, Peter Pepper is the chef from BurgerTime**


	7. Just Clean It!

**A/N: Hi there! Chapter 7 preparing for lift off! Okay… I'll get back to ground now and get rid of some of that lovely suspense. I am wondering how people are going to react to Ralph's find though... *nerves building up***

**_Lily Von Schweetz: _****I can't say I'm a fan of glitter either – I try to avoid its use wherever possible, so I also empathise with the tragic plight Vanellope is currently enduring.**

**_UmbreOn: _****Yup, I am 100% with you on that one – whoever thought of such an annoying craft decoration?**

**_Emmz: _****I've got a while to go before Felix and Calhoun return home *failed maniacal laugh* -so unfortunately, you'll have to put up with me and my insane drivel for a bit longer. Personally, I can't wait to reveal their reaction either! Secondly, I have three younger siblings aged 10, 7 and 5 – I can totally understand why you had to spend so long cleaning up glue and glitter!**

**On with the story…. **

**-WIR-**

_"I went to fetch something to help us with the job"_

For Vanellope, to hear those words upon Ralph's lips, was like verbal manna falling from heaven – the sweetest ambrosial nectar. Savouring those words, she felt her hopes soar on the wings of expectancy. Secretly, she was hoping he had brought one of her cleaners from _Sugar Rush._ In an ideal world, he may have even got hold of a time machine, so they could rewind the clock – ergo, she would consequently avoid the use of glitter. A girl can wish…

He pulled out the object he was holding and waved it under Vanellope's button nose. Surveying the small square shaped case, she deduced it was none other than a music album.

**_The Best of Michael Jackson_**

Vanellope peered at the object, scrutinizing it carefully before opening her mouth.

"_So… was he any good at cleaning Ralph? Cos I thought you said you had got something to help us with the job?"_

It was obvious her sarcastic streak hadn't vanished completely, proven by such a snide remark. He furrowed his eyebrows in exasperation.

"_I don't recall Michael Jackson being remembered for his services to cleanliness kid - this fella probably had a lot of personal cleaners, like yourself"_

Vanellope rolled her eyes and groaned, attempting to manually flick the glitter off the rug.

_Grown - ups were such strange beasts- how on earth could a compact disk solve all their problems? Was Ralph even in his right frame of mind? Maybe he had inhaled too many of those bubbles…_

Ralph could see Vanellope hadn't quite grasped his point. Sighing, he took hold of her suspender tool belt, whipped her upwards and dangled her in front of his face .Vanellope barely had chance to take a breath before she registered being hoisted skywards.

"_Hey Ralphhie, by presidential decree, I order you to put me down!"_

She giggled uncontrollably, whilst being swung back and forth through the air. Ralph set her down gently, as if she were a precious stone rather than a feisty misfit.

"_Van, look at me"_

Looking into his hazel eyes, she obeyed his somewhat direct command. He stooped down on one knee and bent down to her level. Lacing one of his fingers under her chin, she was forced to observe his earnest features.

"_I know you had good intentions for this whole cleaning malarkey kid, but let's face it. Cleaning is probably one of the most tedious jobs going and we as individuals have not been programmed to enjoy it. Felix…maybe, but that's beside the point. Look what I'm saying is, there is no reason we can't lighten the load a bit… I mean… music works wonders in terms of motivation. Seeing how you started singing before – that made the job the slightest bit more bearable. Do you understand what I'm saying kid?"_

Ralph seemed to plead to Vanellope. He knew fancy words and speeches were not his forte – he left that to the literary experts like Calhoun, but his tone was literally dripped with sincerity. Cleaning was something that bored him to tears, which was why his house was always such a tip. But for a grown gamer it was one thing, for a child, it was another.

Vanellope screwed up her face in concentration. She had an inkling of what he meant, but hadn't quite understood the bigger picture. Somewhat reluctantly, she attempted to answer the giant wrecker.

"_Soooo… like when Mr Litwak listens to his iPod while he tidies the arcade?"_

Ralph thought for a moment before nodding vigorously.

"_Sure"_

She sighed half-heartedly, drooping her shoulders is dismay.

"_I guess we could give it a try"_

She stifled a small yawn and went back to trying to flick glitter off the carpet. Ralph pursed his lips – this hadn't quite been the reaction he had been hoping to gage. Usually, the little candy whirlwind had enthusiasm above and beyond the norm when it came to embracing new ideas. Ordinarily, he had to rein her in before new things were introduced and he had convinced himself she would be enthralled to whistle while they worked. But here, he faced the polar opposite side of this somewhat tarnished coin. Now, she stood before him, a subdued and apathetic little being, lacking interest in anything other than the glitter infested rug. It seemed that cleaning had really crushed her spirits.

Ralph wrinkled his forehead. He would soon put a stop to her miserable demeanour and the consequent ambience it created.

"_You know what kid? I think you are going to like this…"_

He strode over to the stereo system, glancing at the little listless figure reduced to pinging glitter off the rug. Vanellope barely even acknowledged his comment. Very carefully, he fiddled with various knobs, until a little tray opened, ready to receive the anticipated disk. He placed the CD inside and began to adjust frequency equalisers, bass controls and a whole array of other technicalities. Finally, he poured over the inscription on the CD case and without much hesitation, he selected a track. The machine began to whir with life. Ralph looked back at Vanellope. The disinterested child was totally engrossed in her mind numbing chore. Ralph smiled and slowly turned up the volume.

_Dong, Dong, Dong, Dong…._

Vanellope pricked her ears up as the synthesised sounds started to fill the air. The tinny timbre beckoned her attention, as if attempting to draw her away from her menial task. Ralph grabbed two long wooden spoons from the kitchen work top and started to play on an imaginary kit, as the drum beat started to kick in. Her eyes lit up with glee as the low pitched drones came to an end and were replaced with some groovy guitar riffs. Those polyphonic interwoven melodies produced a somewhat hypnotic effect upon the small child. Vanellope couldn't help herself and started to tap her feet in time to the rhythm as Ralph bounded round the room, brandishing his newly found drum sticks. Then, he did something the small child had never seen him do in her entire presidential career.

He started singing…

**_They Told Him Don't You Ever Come Around Here,_**

**_Don't Wanna See Your Face, You Better Disappear_**

**_The Fire's In Their Eyes And Their Words Are Really Clear_**

**_So Beat It, Just Beat It_**

Vanellope practically had to peel her jaw from the floor as she watched the dramatic transformation that had taken place. Gone was her apprehensive bumbling wrecker – he had been replaced with a confident, gruff sounding king of swing. Ralph was clearly enjoying himself, proven by the manner he completed the actions to the song and blasted out the melody

**_You Better Run, You Better Do What You Can_**

**_Don't Wanna See No Blood, Don't Be A Macho Man_**

**_You Wanna Be Tough, Better Do What You Can_**

**_So Beat It, But You Wanna Be Bad_**

He was waving his hands all over the place, assuming manly postures and just generally having fun. Vanellope could hardly believe it was the same person, who was now dancing with so much freedom before her. However, what he did next demonstrated exactly how it was possible to clean and enjoy oneself. Seizing the rug with his giant hands, he hauled it skywards and dragged it towards the back door. Vanellope stared in horror as he used his spoon drumsticks to pound the suspended rug rhythmically.

"_Ralph, are you maa…." _

He ignored her completely, enraptured by the melody.

**_Just Beat It, Beat It, Beat It, Beat It_**

**_No One Wants To Be Defeated_**

**_Showin' How Funky Strong Is Your Fight_**

**_It Doesn't Matter Who's Wrong Or Right_**

**_Just Beat It, Beat It_**

**_Just Beat It, Beat It_**

**_Just Beat It, Beat It_**

**_Just Beat It, Beat It_**

It suddenly dawned upon her what Ralph had been hoping to achieve through this bizarre procedure. She watched as the microscopic specks of glitter flew off the rug and floated through the air in a shimmering haze. The sight was almost magical for the poor girl, who had been striving for so long to remove the substance manually. The mischievous sparkle returned to her eyes as she realized what wonders the music was working. Ralph continued to beat the rug in time to the music, thoroughly relishing the opportunity to unleash some of that beastly wrecking strength in a manner most unusual. Vanellope skipped over to the stereo.

Suddenly, Michael Jackson came to an abrupt halt. Ralph pouted at Vanellope disappointedly.

"_Whadda ya do that for kid? I was just getting into the groove"_

To prove his point, he began to sway his hips back and forth, shaking his derrière. Vanellope chuckled with delight, before assuming her normal impish countenance.

"_I thought we'd make it a little more interesting…"_

She turned the treble controls down, so the singing was slightly muted. Restarting the song, she increased the volume of the bass's low pitched hum. The reverberations caused by her consequent fiddling echoed deep within her small frame and she shivered in glee, her spine tingling with anticipation. Befuddled, Ralph watched her skid across the kitchen to fetch a brush.

"_Van, what are you doing!"_

The sonorous instrumental introduction had just started to warm up and it seemed that Vanellope hadn't heard him over the din. However, his question was soon answered when at last she turned to face him and launched into song.

**_We told him we would do our best to clean around here_**

**_Don't wanna see no mess, we'll make it disappear_**

**_They won't believe their eyes, when they find the place all clear_**

**_We'll clean it, Just Clean it._**

Ralph could hardly believe his ears, as he stood absorbing the latest rendition of one of his all-time favourites. Vanellope was sweeping the floor, where the recent flurry of glitter had just settled, but she too was completing this task in time to the music. Spontaneity obviously worked wonders for the soul. Ralph's face broke out into a wide grin as she instigated her next verse.

**_We will not run, we're gonna do what we can_**

**_Don't wanna see no dirt, it ain't part of our plan_**

**_It's gonna be tough, but we'll do what we can _**

**_We'll clean it, Just Clean it_**

Vanellope was warbling at the top of her lungs. As she had only heard the original version moments ago, her timing wasn't quite spot on and the tune was invariable, but she certainly deserved full marks for her improvisational skills. The chorus only amplified Ralph's smile all the more, as her rhythmical brush strokes kept to the beat.

**_Just Clean It, Clean It, Clean It, Clean It_**

**_Grime and filth will be defeated_**

**_Scouring and mopping, with all of our might_**

**_We will not stop, till we get it right_**

**_Just Clean it, Clean it_**

**_Just Clean it, Clean it_**

**_Just Clean it, Clean it_**

**_Just Clean it, Clean it_**

The instrumental refrain returned and Ralph seized the opportunity to address the small child.

"_Kid that's amazing, how did you do it? You've just heard the song…"_

She smirked.

"_Easy my main man – just open your mouth and SING!"_

Ralph slapped his phizog in frustration. Trying to get a straight answer from Vanellope was sometimes like trying to draw blood from a stone. In this instance, he wasn't particularly bothered, as he watched his best friend skip round with a brush and lose herself in the music. As the instrumental came to a close, she resumed her singing duties. Happily, Ralph continued to beat the rug, ridding it from the infiltrated glitter. Literally, it was a case of if you can _beat it, join it. _

**_We'll soak and scrub and sweep and rub and do what we can_**

**_Don't wanna see no stains, or we'll be in a jam_**

**_We'll get through this alive, if we do what we can_**

**_We'll clean it, Just clean it_**

Upon finishing this stanza, she used the brush handle to indicate her companion.

"_Take it Ralph!"_

Turning sharply, he grimaced, but seeing how enveloped Vanellope had become, he figured it best just to go with the flow.

**_UHH… We're gonna prove that housework don't have us scared_**

**_It could well cause some.. err strife, anger beyond compare_**

**_We'll bathe and brush and blot and flush_**

**_And take the greatest care_**

**_We'll clean it... and it won't look so bad!_**

Ralph proclaimed triumphantly, proud of his musical efforts. He had never felt a buzz like this before. The tingling joyous sensation spread like wildfire through his enormous physique and emerged as light feathery pin pricks prancing daintily on his skin. Who knew manipulating classic songs could be so much fun? He hardly had time to catch a breath before they resumed belting out the chorus. It was only natural that Ralph couldn't quite remember all of Vanellope's new lyrics; therefore, melodic unity was largely attempted, but not achieved completely.

**_Just Clean It, Clean It, Clean It, Clean It_**

**_Grime and filth will be defeated_**

**_Scouring and mopping, with all of our might_**

**_We will not stop, till we get it right_**

**_Just Clean it, Clean it_**

**_Just Clean it, Clean it_**

**_Just Clean it, Clean it_**

**_Just Clean it, Clean it_**

Vanellope's eyes flashed with pure, unadulterated joy as the lead guitar began a solo recital. Dropping to her knees and clutching the brush to her, she began an imaginary performance, her fingers dancing lightly up and down the length of the former cleaning utensil. She screwed her eyes tightly shut and writhed about, as if she was enduring severe agony. She thrashed her pony tail wildly from side to side and it was any wonder her little candy accessories didn't fly off from the sheer force. As the pitch of the phrases changed, so did her interesting body postures. Ralph found it incredibly hard to believe the child had not been introduced to the King of Pop before – the manner in which she behaved seemed to defy the facts. She seemed to move in perfect harmony to the music, appreciating the combination of delay and chorus guitar sounds. Suddenly, the funky riffs came to an end and as a result, so did Vanellope's seemingly painful gyrations. Clapping wildly, they sung out the chorus once again.

**_Just Clean It, Clean It, Clean It, Clean It_**

**_Grime and filth will be defeated_**

**_Scouring and mopping, with all of our might_**

**_We will not stop, till we get it right_**

**_Just Clean it, Clean it_**

**_Just Clean it, Clean it_**

**_Just Clean it, Clean it_**

**_Just Clean it, Clean it_**

They continued singing, sweeping and swatting glitter from the rug, thoroughly relishing the experience. As the music started to fade into the distance, they carried on crooning, each time improving with the practice. By now, almost all the glitter had been pounded off the detailed carpet and swept away by the now jubilant Vanellope. With the tune growing fainter by the second, Ralph gave the rug a final rhythmic shake, shooting the few remaining glitter particles through the air. Vanellope watched as the sparkly mist floated down to earth and waited for those dwindling specks to fall into her own cleaning realm. Once they touched the floor, their fate was sealed and with several swift brush strokes, they were gone for good. With those final diminishing notes wavering in the air, Vanellope slowly turned to face her flabbergasted friend. Ralph suddenly grew apprehensive, seeing his little president slump her shoulders and sigh wearily.

_Hadn't she enjoyed their little song or dance?_

However, all his previous concerns vanished when a small, barely audible murmur emerged from the lips of his beaming buddy

**_Just Clean It…._**

**-WIR-**

**A/N: There you go! The mystery behind the title has been solved. Cheesy – I know. I hope all you Michael Jackson fans out there aren't in any way offended by my lyrical manipulations – this was only supposed to be a funny little story and it is great music to clean up to. Amazingly, my rendition actually fits to the tune – not that I have tried it…**

**Remember, I am particularly fond of reviews… especially with cherries on top!**

**Honeyglows abounding! x**

** Ps. ****_Beat It _****belongs to Michael Jackson. ****_Clean It _****belongs to me. Funny sort of disclaimer...**


	8. Try Hit me baby, one more time!

**A/N: Hello there, **

**Here is Chapter 8 for all those out there reading my insane drivel!**

**_RoriB: _****There is no charge for awesomeness… (****_Kung Fu Pandaaa!) _****I think they are both a hoot as well!**

**_Emmz: _****Golly! *blushes* Thank you for your compliments – I don't know what to say. To hear that someone wants to read more of my work, when I haven't even finished my first story is such an encouragement. I do have a wealth of stories planned for Wreck It Ralph, but I will have to balance my degree work with my writing pleasures. Secondly, wow! I can't believe how similar we are in terms of sibling ages! I think we may also share the same name…**

**Anyhow, enough chit chat! I realise it's been three whole chapters without any Hero's Cuties - I don't want anyone to suffer withdrawal symptoms, so here is a chapter with our favourite Disney couple. Well, mine anyway…**

** -WIR-**

_DIINNGG!_

The clear crisp sound resonated throughout the reception room, its mellow tones echoing down long empty corridors. Tamora looked up to survey if anyone had stirred in response to her beckoning call.

_Nothing_

Frustrated, she glared at the inanimate desk bell, visually cursing it for failing to produce the assistance they required. Huffing loudly, she proceeded to press the burnished brass instrument all the more vigorously and in doing so, mirroring her own aggravation.

_DING DING DING DING DING!_

Her persistent ringing resulted in a high pitched minimalistic drone, which pierced the air with its sharp timbre. Surely, such a sonorous sound would capture the attention of even the laziest employee.

_Apparently not_

Tamora ran a gloved hand through her sable blonde mane and groaned in exasperation. She clenched her other fist and started to rap it rhythmically upon the front desk, as an outlet for her annoyance. Her unrelenting tapping started to increase in volume and frequency, as the seconds quickly passed by. After all, she was the esteemed leader of a bunch of simpering soldiers, who knew the consequences of failing to present themselves at her beck and call. Such failure did not go undisciplined on her watch. Just as she thought she might explode with impatience, a similar gloved hand came to rest atop her own. Somewhat reluctantly, she allowed her own hand to cease striking the polished surface of the desk and relax slightly. Surrendering to the hand which lay o'er her own, she permitted those nimble fingers to rub smooth, soothing circles along her wrist. Sighing, she turned to face the owner of those warm and comforting digits.

Her adorable little husband.

She gazed into the worried eyes of her mate, who continued to gently massage her hand.

"_It's ok Tammy. It's Saturday night, they are sure to be busy"_

For her, his calming words were like liquid silver, the right medication for any agitated patient. She blinked, casting one of her rare, make you go weak at the knee smiles, in his direction. Most notably, these smiles were reserved for Felix only.

"_I know Fix It, I know…"_

Using her other hand, she laced a mischievous finger along his jaw line. The honeyglow's were still burning fiercely in his ever rosy cheeks, as he relished his wife's gentle caress. He was practically purring from her touch. Such affection was not normally displayed by this couple in public, due to Tamora's wish to keep up appearances, but at this moment in time, alone in the reception of _Extreme Easy Livin' 2, _neither party really gave a thought regarding their doting demeanour.

Swaying back and forth on the balls of his feet, he noticed one of his shoe laces had come undone. He stooped down low, in order to correct the trailing lace. A normal character might have ignored such a trifling issue, but Felix was a professional perfectionist and required everything to be situated accordingly. Once he had done this, he then noticed his navy cummerbund was no longer sitting straight. Pouting slightly, he hopped over to a mirror on the other side of the room, in order to alter his attire. However in doing so, his view of Tamora was largely obscured by a tall leafy plant. She shook her head in disbelief, while she watched her little handyman engrossed in the menial task of adjusting his waist band.

_Oh Felix, Why oh Why_.

Suddenly, she was brought out of her musings by the jangling of a small bell, mounted on top of the reception door. A portly man stumbled in behind the counter and picked up a small clipboard. Flustered, he panted breathlessly, his corpulent figure heaving with his chesty gasps. Without even looking up at her, he started to address the sergeant.

"_So sorry for the delay, we are very busy and…."_

At last he turned to face the blonde bombshell and a love sick smile spread across his plump face.

"_If there is anything I can do for you ma chere, please do not hesitate to ask"_

His voice was literally dripping with cheesiness and understandably, Tamora was repulsed by his attitude. In spite of this, she put her normally sarcastic tongue on guard; bearing in mind that creating a scene so early on in the evening, may not be the best thing. Grimacing internally, she forced a small smile out, although she thought her lips might crack from the façade.

"_I have a dinner reservation for Mr and __**Mrs **__Fix It please"_

She glanced across at Felix, who was now completely preoccupied with smoothing his trousers down, blissfully unaware of the extra presence in the room. The man flicked through his paperwork before looking up at Tamora again.

"_Ahh yes, I have it here. But I must ask, why use a code name for booking my dear? If you want me to come and join you later in the evening, all you have to do is ask. It saves you sitting alone, which a beautiful lady such as yourself, is certainly not allowed to do on my watch."_

Tamora gritted her teeth in anger. Clearly, this man had chosen to flirt with the wrong woman. She couldn't quite believe he had the nerve to assume she had made the reservation in order to secure an evening companion. She felt her binary begin to boil as she attempted to answer this impertinent, presumptuous assistant. Placing both her palms on the desk, she arched her back, her eyes flashing menacingly.

"_It just so happens that I am actually here with my husband and I'd be careful if I were you, because if you don't, he might well allow me to beat the living daylights out of you!"_

She hissed furiously, her voice practically oozing with venom. She looked over at Felix, her eyes pleading for support, mentally willing him to move his molasses over to the counter. Unfortunately, he had missed her eye contact, being captivated only by perfecting his personal appearance. As she had spoken in a somewhat hushed tone, so the assistant wouldn't be too blown away by her temper, it was highly probable Felix had missed the interesting interchange between his wife and this impudent lady killer. The assistant appeared unfazed by her minor outburst, determined to complete his dangerous quest and chat up the beauty before him.

"_Woa… slow down mi amiga. No need to get so worked up, I understand perfectly. You like to play hard to get, no? Well that's fine by me, I like a woman with a little fire…"_

He grinned sleazily. His vulgar expression revealed that he was completely unaware of the danger he was getting himself into. Pretty much everyone in the arcade knew it was unwise to try to tango with Tamora, but the couple had seldom been to _Extreme Easy Livin' 2, _as they favoured the family atmosphere and friendly service at _Tapper's. Tapper's _had always been their preferred haunt, but seeing the importance of the occasion, they sussed a meagre root beer would not suffice in terms of celebration and therefore, opted for a location with a slightly more refined choice of cuisine. The layout of _EZ Livin' _was unfamiliar territory for them, which is why they required assistance to reach the restaurant section. They knew few folks from the game, as locals rarely set foot outside the portal, choosing to stick to their own secluded little paradise. Ergo, this brazen gentleman would have most likely never met Tamora in her normal battle gear, let alone in a dress, her loveliness displayed to all.

It was then he gently attempted to prise her hand off the counter and raise it eagerly to his lips, in feigned chivalry. Tamora could fight her feelings no longer and curled her lips in disgust. Swiftly, she used her free hand to grab hold of his dangling tie and yanked it downwards. This caused his elbows to collide suddenly with the marbled surface in front of him.

_BANG! _

The crash jolted Felix back to reality, as did the pathetic whimpering's that seemed to accompany it. Peeking across the room, he noted his military missus almost had the assistant by the throat.

_UHH OHH_

This could not end well… Judging by the way she was literally throttling the poor man, he must have done something pretty severe to incur her wrath in such a manner as this.

_Surely he hadn't tried to dally with her…_

There were innumerable deeds the man could have done that might have subjected him to Tamora's fury, but this hypothesis, was the one that remained at the forefront of his mind. Felix quickly quelled his jealous suspicions – no matter how inappropriate this attendants behaviour was, he wasn't going to allow his wife to strangulate him. That would certainly make for a memorable anniversary…

Unfortunately, when he at last strode over to the pair, he was unable to see over the reception desk, due to his smaller size – that and the fact that Tamora had leaned right over the counter to address this person. This of course, was why it was Tamora who had to ring for attention in the first place; Felix's short stature denied him the option. Despite not being able to see the interaction between his wife and the insolent worker, he could jolly well imagine the kind of verbal interchange taking place. Whatever was going on between them, he knew something was wrong. Tamora did have a short fuse in terms of her temper, but he had rarely seen her flip out like this… unless she was being hit on…

It wasn't long before the answered was revealed to him, as he heard his wife's infuriated tone.

"_Now I suggest you listen carefully fella. Your head is so big, it's no wonder you have to step into your shirts. Might I recommend you get your paws off my hand, put a lid on that ego and show us to the restaurant pronto! Do I make myself clear? Or would you rather have your face rearranged __**slowly **__and __**painfully**__"_

Tamora laid extra emphasis on those last few words, as she spat fiercely into the face of the cowering worker. Tears were brimming in his eyes and his bottom lip started to quiver in fear. Without a doubt, these were the exact same tactics the esteemed sergeant used on the battle field and it was obvious that they worked. He nodded fervently, his eyes bulging from the pressure of her hold. Just as she was about to launch into another heated verbal frenzy, she felt something tug lightly on her dress. She looked down at the agitated little handyman down by her side.

"_Tammy…" _

He began somewhat apprehensively, knowing that his belated interference could very well spell trouble. However, he certainly wasn't prepared for the reaction that followed. Tamora simply smiled down at him.

"_Ahh there you are darling…"_

He shrunk back a little, fearing for his little 8-bit life. The only time Tamora behaved in such a sickly sweet manner, was before she was about to blow off. Her method of lulling someone into a false sense of security was not to be underestimated, thus Felix erred on the side of caution.

"_This very helpful young man was just about to show us into the restaurant, __**weren't you?"**_

She turned sharply in order to direct her question at the odious root of her annoyance. Beads of oily sweat trickled down the young man's forehead, his eyes widening in panic, as he nodded vigorously. She released her hold on the assistants' garish tie and he quickly backed away like a corned animal, clutching his collar in terror.

Felix gulped. Tamora had already been through a tough day on the field; she was supposed to have swapped her disciplinary duties for some well-deserved culinary pampering. She was certainly in no mood to be trifled with. The assistant cleared his throat nervously, his fleshy figure juddering with trepidation.

"_Ahem… yes well… if you would like to follow me this way please, Mr and Mrs…ummm"_

He stuttered uneasily, still quaking from the after effects of the stern sergeant's rage. She linked arms with her befuddled husband and flashed a smug pearly smile at the wobbly man.

"**_Fix It"_**

Adjusting his shirt collar apprehensively and smoothing his greasy hair down, he proceeded to lead the pair through a winding labyrinth of empty corridors. Tamora was sure she could hear their stocky guide still clucking nervously to himself as they journeyed through the maze of seemingly unending passages. Listening to the lingering spaces between each footstep, she could practically taste the tension in the air and relished it with delight. Felix chose to remain quiet, not wishing to tamper with the suffocating atmosphere surrounding the silent trio.

At last, they rounded a final corner and came to face a wide, intricately sculptured door. Their helper released a rather shaky breath, before standing to attention and addressing them.

"_Here you are folks. The restaurant and adjoining ballroom is just through this door. If there is anything else I can help you with, please don't hesitate to ask and I will endeavour to assist you in any way possible"_

He babbled continuously, still avoiding eye contact with the formidable woman. Tamora could see right through this phony performance – such talk could be nothing but rehearsed for such an occasion as this. She rolled her eyes.

However, this fellow was obviously a glutton for punishment and couldn't leave well enough alone. It seemed to be out of almost pure instinct he started to rub his gloved fingertips together, anticipating a monetary token in reward for his invaluable services. Felix, as a gentleman of considerable social etiquette, immediately took the hint and dug into his back pocket.

"_Oh, I'm sorry… you want a ti…"_

Just as he was about to pull out his wallet and hand over a small sum to the incompetent assistant, Tamora yanked his arm away from his pocket and wrapped it round her own, patting it affectionately. Confused, Felix allowed his arm to become entangled with his wife's and deposited his wallet back into his pocket. Haughtily, she waltzed right past the arrogant young man, almost dragging Felix behind her. Placing a hand on the oak panelled door, she turned to face the hefty assistant. She watched with secret delight, as he shivered in fear from her stony gaze. He had approached her before from a slighted elevated platform at his desk, but face to face, he hadn't expected the fair haired commander to stand a good few inches taller than himself. This made the domineering woman look all the more intimidating, as she stood towering over him. Trembling nervously, he anticipated her cold, merciless reply. She shoved her face into his and watched as he shut his eyes tightly, barricading himself in preparation for her verbose blow. Surprisingly, her retort slipped out as smoothly as molten gold, soft and eloquent, yet dripping with strategic sarcasm.

"_Here's a tip for you… __**Smarten**__ up, __**straighten**__ up and __**shift**__ that attitude of yours into a lower gear- maybe one day, some poor, desperate woman... at the end of her tether... with no other option in life, might give you a second glance"_

He flinched slightly and murmured quietly

"_Yes ma'm"_

Felix bit his lip, as he watched the attendant slip away as fast as his stocky little legs could carry him, mumbling some unintelligible apologies and indubitably, nursing a bruised ego. No doubt about it, there was someone who wouldn't be messing with Tamora again anytime soon – _if he feared for his life_.

Felix scratched the nape of his neck and coughed awkwardly.

"_You s-sure do have a way with words, hun"_

His honest attempt to alleviate the tension in the air was answered with a simple shrug of her shoulders.

"_I try my best."_

He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as they prepared to enter the room. She returned the gesture, before assuming a somewhat bemused expression.

"_Of course… it's not what you say Fix It, it's the __**way**__ that you say it"_

Felix's grin slowly began to creep across his face, as he savoured his wife's words.

_No point in arguing with her logic_

**-WIR-**

**A/N: Phew! I wouldn't like to get on Tamora's bad side… I hope you all enjoyed this chapter - If you did, pretty, pretty please write me a review *showing puppy eyes***

**Honeyglows abounding! x**


	9. Can you feel the love tonight

**A/N: Hiya, so sorry for the delay – had hardly any time to write as I have been doing so much CLEANING! Ohh… the cruel irony *bangs head on table***

**Yey! Over 20 reviews! Thank you so much everybody :D It would be a dream come true to get 50, so keep them coming – I never tire of reading them!**

**_UmbreOn: _****Exactly – couldn't have phrased it better myself.**

**_Emmz: _****Hey sister! Tee hee… Yup, we wouldn't want to get on her bad side**

**_Music Lovet: _****Thanks! I think Piggy won't be messing with her again - I couldn't stop smiling when I was writing that part. Glad you liked it J**

**_Gaby: _****I did promise there would be more of Disney's cutest couple – more coming up as well! Can't really have a story without them :D**

**For ****_TheSoundOfAwesome_****: Hope you got the GCSE results you wanted (If I understood your profile page correctly – really sorry if I got the wrong end of the stick completely though)**

**Anyhow, here is a chapter that has NOTHING to do with cleaning – instead it concerns our favourite couple. Enjoy!**

**-WIR-**

"_And then that blundering, good for nothing, excuse for a solider had the nerve to assume everything would be hunky dory after such a session – I mean, what kind of pea brained numbskull would do such a thing? So you can see why I…"_

Felix struggled to supress a small sigh, yearning to escape from his lips. All this verbal banter had emerged from a single, simple question he supposed every married couple should routinely ask each other at the end of the gaming day.

_How was work?_

What Tamora's senseless squadron didn't know, was that it was Felix who had to bear the brunt of their military offences, shambolic cock ups and general misconduct long after game play hours. This was often through an oral narrative from their highly irate commander and Felix frequently had a real job to calm her down after such a strenuous day. Pondering to himself, he wondered how the conversation panned out for most partners. He supposed those few with pre-programmed marriages seldom had anything of great interest to report to one another. Amongst the older, same game couples in the arcade, life was pretty much punctuated by the regularity of gaming hours and the shared experiences encountered during this time.

However, being married to a high definition gal like Tamora, from such new-fangled, action packed and unpredictable game, certainly made for interesting dinner time conversation. Every day brought new stories, new adventures from her adrenaline fuelled world. Usually, when she was relaying her days experiences to him, Felix would cup his chin in his hands, prop his elbows against any available ledge and simply sit, absorbing his wife's words like a love sick sponge. He would never tire of hearing her melodious voice recount her day's escapades. To him, however gruesome the tale she spun of Cybugs viciously mutilating her companions or devastating explosions obliterating the sky around her, her speech was always like music to his ears. Of course, Felix couldn't help it – he was hopelessly besotted with her. Sure, he may have flinched when her language was a little too "potty" for his liking, but he had learnt to live with it, finding that it was easier to let her air her frustrations verbally, than allow them to gnaw her internally.

Nevertheless, he had grown tired of hearing how her reckless regiment had screwed up – yet again. In truth, he wanted nothing more than to sweep her off her feet, kiss her passionately and whisper sweet nothings into her ears. After a long day of being bombarded with bricks, ducks and Gene's incessant complaining, he figured it would be nice to unwind and forget about the days work. Instead, he was forced to listen to even more problems coming from his wife's dangerous domain. He had long drifted from the conversation, but pretended he was listening by nodding intently and adding small comments in agreement. But Tamora, with her trained battle eye, could see right through his forged enthusiasm and knew immediately something was amiss. Ceasing her ranting, she looked into his baby blue eyes.

"_Felix…"_

Cooing softly, she hoped to bring him out of his apparent reverie. The gentle tone she used stirred something within the small handyman and he immediately snapped to attention.

"_Hmm…W-what?!"_

She smirked in a knowing way before assuming a somewhat offended expression.

"_You weren't listening to anything I was saying…"_

Playfully, she sniffed sadly and turned away slightly, as an attempt to hide the laughter shining in her eyes. Tamora undoubtedly had a mischievous nature and knew exactly which emotional strings to pull on her puppet like husband. She watched with secret delight as the concerned superintendent began to fawn over her.

"_Golly, no Tammy… Of course I was listening… how could I not…"_

He babbled frantically, sincerely wishing he had paid greater attention to her quotidian account. From underneath her blonde bangs, she could see the anxiety flooding into the worried countenance of her husband. She decided to use a firmer tone to address her agitated partner.

"_Oh come off it Fix It! You had that glazed look in your eyes and you were miles away, don't deny it!"_

Guiltily, Felix stared at the silver cutlery laid out on the table before him. He started to fiddle with his fork, trying to avoid eye contact with the stern sergeant. Sheepishly, he examined the shiny metal object, running a finger down the sharp prongs. Tamora chuckled as she watched her husband squirming around uncomfortably on his chair, evading her gaze. Placing her elbows on the table and lowering her chin into one hand, she spoke quietly to him, realising the guilt she had unleashed upon him.

"_What's on your mind soldier?"_

Her soothing voice only served to make him shift round all the more, as he continued to dodge her eye movement. The no nonsense commander was beginning to wonder whether she had genuinely struck one of Felix's emotional nerves. Sighing, he finally met her cerulean eyes.

"_Felix…"_

Hearing the apprehension in her voice, he spoke up at last.

"_I was just wondering how on earth somebody as ordinary and 8-bit as me, could have landed someone as stunning and sophisticated as you Tammy…"_

Every word he spoke was pronounced with the utmost sincerity, no traces of artificiality whatsoever. Tamora just sat in stunned silence for a moment, taken aback by her husband's sudden speech. A slight blush started to creep into her cheeks, quickly escalating into a feverish case of full blown honeyglow's. She could feel her face throbbing from the intense heat practically surging through her code. It was any wonder the basket of bread atop the table hadn't been toasted to a crisp by the powerful radiation pulsing from her person. At this moment in time, all she wanted was to curl up with her adorable husband, bury her head into the soft curve in his neck and leave behind all the painful memories each day in combat conjured up for her.

Of course, a restaurant was not really the ideal place for displaying such affection. Instead, she simply smiled in a slightly coquettish manner.

"_I think you will find there's more to me than meets the eye Fix It"_

Having said these words, she raised the menu up to her face, as a vain attempt to disguise her increasingly crimson countenance. Felix smirked before following suit and lifting his menu upwards. Surprised at his own boldness, he let a cheeky remark roll right off his tongue, as he sighed dreamily.

"_Don't I know it…"_

He peeked over the top of his menu, in order to gauge her reaction. From what he could see, her expression hadn't changed in response to his suggestive comment. Somewhat dismayed, he began to pour over the menu, pondering over the selection of choice dishes. Suddenly, he felt something warm and soft, entangle itself round his trousers. It began to constrict his lower limbs, thus preventing him from moving. A small surprised squeak escaped from his lips and was quickly accompanied by a faint snigger, coming from the other side of the table. Worriedly, he glimpsed under the table cloth, to see what sort of merciless beast he had fallen into the clutches of. Laying eyes on the creature that ensnared him, his face broke out into a wide grin.

He was being held captive by none other than Tamora's legs.

Straightening up, he flashed a knowing look in her direction, which was greeted a flicker of her raven eyelashes. Very carefully, he moved one of his legs out of her tenacious hold and wrapped it round one of hers. Tamora allowed him to wriggle slightly out of her grasp, before resuming a vice like grip on the leg she still had left. Juddering slightly, she felt the leg of his she had recently freed, become entwined once again with her own. This elicited a slight shiver from the blonde bombshell, who willingly submitted to the limbs entangled o'er her own. This affectionate, under the table behaviour worked well for Tamora, who liked to keep such soppy public displays to the minimum. Still not letting her gaze wander from the menu, she felt her husband squeeze her legs with his own. Returning the gesture, she averted her gaze for the briefest of moments, before letting it return to the range appetizing options. Satisfied with her reaction, he proceeded to rhythmically rub her long limbs, with his own short ones. Her eyes widened in secret pleasure, but again, she used her menu to shield her reaction from her doting husband. It was as if they had completely forgotten about dinner.

Suddenly, they were brought back to reality by a dull, monotonous voice.

"_ Are you ready to order?"_

Startled by the intrusion, Felix sat up all too quickly. Whilst in the process of untangling his legs from Tamora's, his knees collided with the table's underside, sending some of the cutlery skywards. A stifled yelp mirrored his pain and it was all Tamora could do to prevent a small bubble of laughter escaping from her lips. Fortunately for them, the waitress was too preoccupied with her own affairs to take much notice of the amusing scene in front of her. She huffed impatiently, tapping her pen in annoyance the notepad.

"_So… do you want to order now?"_

Embarrassed, Felix cleared his throat and frantically began scanning the menu, wishing he had been previously studying the gourmet options, rather than using it to mask his cherry cheeks.

"_Ummm…"_

Finally, his eyes came to rest upon a rather delicious looking Italian dish.

"_Your Rigatoni al Fungi looks simply exquisite…"_

The assistant rolled her eyes, flicking her dishevelled locks over her shoulder. She raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"_That what you want then sunshine?"_

Felix shrunk back a little, before nodding slightly. Being the popular protagonist of such a well-known game, he had seldom been spoken to in such a demeaning manner and he was not used to dealing with such discourteous acquaintances. But brushing his feelings to one side, he decided to just grin and bear it, hoping his exemplary attitude might improve her mannerisms. Regrettably, this was not the case and what she said next, only served to make matters worse.

"_And what will the lady be having?"_

Felix almost did a double take in response to such a brash comment.

_Did she really just say that?_

He glimpsed at Tamora, who looked surprisingly laid back after the attendant's heinous remark. Flinching, he anticipated her uncompromising reply – there was no way she would let a comment like that go unnoticed. However, Tamora still appeared to be physically unfazed by the assistant's impudence. Tilting her head upwards to face the attendant, she smiled –the same sickly-sweet smile she had used before verbally dissecting the previous employee.

_Uhh Ohh_

Felix knew that look spelt trouble and although she showed no sign of retaliating violently, he could tell something was afoot. The tension was practically suffocating the nervous handyman as he watched his military missus trail run a thoughtful finger through the list of cuisine. She may have been spoken to in a degrading way, but she knew she held the sceptre of power in this situation and could use this girl's impatience to her advantage. It was a battle tactic that never failed: detect your enemy's weakness and make them suffer for it. Showing off her pearly whites, she looked somewhat pensive for a moment, before answering the ill-mannered waitress.

"_Hmmm…"_

Felix hid his head in his hands – he knew this girl was going to get an earful. In this circumstance, it was unavoidable. As cool as a cucumber, Tamora unleashed a retort as smooth as liquid mercury.

"_You know… I'm actually in the mood for some __**decent service**__… I am aware it is a favourite among your customers, but surely you must have some left?_

Felix could practically hear her sharp response cutting through the tension in the air, penetrating the thick layer of unease surrounding the trio. Dumbfounded, the waitress hadn't expected a reply like that and she began to fumble apprehensively with her jotter. Tamora knew she had this girl under her finger and watched with delight as she began to squirm in discomfort under her steely gaze -much like the stocky sleaze ball she had been forced to deal with earlier. Strategically, she proceeded with her answer.

"_Oohh, can I have a side order of __**courtesy **__with that please, garnished with a little __**respect – **__I am awfully fond of them"_

The waitress was rendered speechless for a moment, before she attempted to address the fair haired commander.

"_Umm… well – I err…"_

She babbled uncontrollably, having been orally dismembered by the sarcastic sergeant. Tamora smirked – the girl's unintelligible murmuring's was like music to her ears, the perfect cure for any insulted patient. Just as she was about to take this idiot down another peg or two, she happened to catch Felix's gaze. Staring for a second into his worried countenance, she decided to put an end to her little charade, remembering that it was for his sake she had endeavoured to use verbal wit rather than violent means to resolve any unforeseen problems the night might throw at them. Sighing, she looked at the waitress again, shot her another feigned smile and softened her tone.

"_On second thoughts, a lovely Sirloin steak with all the trimmings would also suffice. You got that soldier?"_

The quaking individual regarded her nervously, before nodding fervently.

"_C-certainly ma'am. Will that be all?"_

Tamora examined her handiwork. In a matter of seconds, this girl had changed from being downright arrogant to a quivering wreck – indubitably, someone who would never underestimate the authoritative blonde ever again. So far, she had given two members of staff a good scolding and as a result, an attitude make over. Not bad for an hours work. After some painful lingering seconds, she replied.

"_I think so… __**dismissed**__!"_

Even though Tamora knew the poor girl had endured enough of her wordy wisecracks, she couldn't resist adding a personal military touch to conclude the lecture. Shaking with relief, the youngster fled from the scene, almost dropping her notes in the rush. Tamora grinned with satisfaction, knowing she had taught the youth a lesson she wouldn't soon forget. Her didactic personality was certainly working overtime. Slumping back in her chair, she looked over at Felix, who seemed somewhat shaken by the whole affair. Arching an eyebrow, she inquired as to his emotional state.

"_You alright hun?"_

Secretly, Felix was wondering if there would be any staff left if Tamora kept scaring them off at this rate. He had wanted the evening to be perfect for them, which was why they had made reservations at the arcades most exclusive in game restaurant; but instead of being treated to the exceptional service which gave the place its reputation, so far they had only been insulted by a bunch of incompetent bunglers. However, he decided not to air his disappointment, as it would only serve to make matters worse. Hurriedly, he tried to divert his thoughts to another matter.

"_Sure…"_

Tamora pursed her lips – she was less than convinced.

"_Spit it out soldier!"_

Her domineering command made Felix all the more determined to keep his dissatisfaction bottled up. Sneakily, he managed to change the subject to another topic, which had him most intrigued. Picking up his spoon and gazing at the inverted reflection inside the hollowed utensil, he continued.

"_I was just thinking…. You really think you can manage a steak that size – those things are huge Tams"_

Tamora tried her best to suppress a small chortle. Noticing her tickled expression, he released a sigh of relief, whilst anticipating her interesting explanation. She traced a finger alongside the rim of her glass, before flashing a mischievous grin.

"_I have got quite an appetite y'know Fix It… and I figured I may need to build up some strength for later this evening…"_

Her tone was dripping with suggestiveness as her finger continued its circular motion. Provocatively, she ran her tongue over her luscious lips and watched as Felix struggled to contain his astonishment. The sergeant certainly knew how to tantalize the poor sat perplexed for a moment, as his cheeks turned from their normal rosy glow into a feverish shade of scarlet. Surprised, he increased his grasp round the metal implement and it was any wonder it didn't bend under the strain. He began to fidget, not knowing quite what to do with himself, as he struggled to contain a dopey lovesick grin. Tamora smirked, bemused by her husband's antics. An ever bashful smile danced lightly upon his lips.

_Perhaps their night wouldn't be so bad after all._

**-WIR-**

**A/N: Hmm – maybe that was too suggestive**

**Anyhow, if you enjoyed the chapter, please let me know by means of a nice review…**

**Honeyglows abounding! x**


	10. And I'm hungry like the wolf

**A/N: Buenas tardes (or dias, depending on where you are!) Here is the next part of my epic tale – yeah, right! Again, my writing time has been sadly limited and this was the best I could manage this week, so my apologies for the lack of physical action in this chapter. Thank you so much for all my reviews – they mean a lot to me.**

**_Emmz: _****Depends how many people insult her! Ha ha :D and I agree with you in terms of Felix – he can't help being completely adorable!**

**Anyhow, here goes nothing…**

**-WIR-**

_Wheeeeeeeeeeeet Wheeeeeeer!_

That shrill high pitched sound sailed through the air, weaving its way through a mass of colourful characters, until it fell upon the ears of its desired recipient. Any other gaming character may have been flattered or even pleasantly surprised by such a gesture, but the person targeted by this flirtatious noise wore the expression of utter disgust, rather than girlish glee. In fact, one could even go as far as say that the glare given by this person in response to the irritating noise, might as well have said "_Drop Dead"!_ by the manner in which it was directed. With a trained battle ear, it took all of three seconds for the victim to locate the culprit behind the heinous whistle and send a glowering scowl in their direction. Under that intense stare, it only took the briefest of moments for the vulgar admirer to realise he had audibly trifled with the wrong woman.

In all fairness to him, he had never laid eyes on such a vision of pure unadulterated loveliness before and was blissfully unaware that this beauty queen had already been snatched up by another lucky guy. Of course, when one could obviously see that she was seated with her lover, his meagre attempt at gaining her attention just seemed all the more desperate. However, he did not know who he had tried to deal with and as he stood trying to evade the fierce look she was using to punish him for his impudence, he realised he had stumbled upon a profound truth.

_He would never try to dally with Sergeant Tamora Jean Fix It again._

The blonde bombshell continued to bombard the impertinent young man with menacing dagger like glares, watching as he shrunk under her gaze. Highly irate, she did not cease staring intently at the odious root of her frustrations, mumbling some inaudible curse words to herself. She knew she had the power to cripple a man's ego with one of killer looks and that was exactly what she intended to do in this situation. Having taken several individuals down a peg or two this evening, she wasn't afraid to add another to her list. But before she had chance to visually dismember the fellow across the room, she felt a familiar warmth surge through her code. Averting her gaze from the insolent philanderer, she turned to face the cause of this cosy feeling.

Yet again, it was her ever grounded comforter.

Once again, she admitted defeat to those welcoming digits, which had come to rest o'er her own and allowed her unintelligible ranting's to come to an end. Felix began to rub each one of her slender fingers, massaging them gently. She juddered with a renewed sense of tranquillity, as he eagerly raised her hand to his lips, planting a small kiss atop those fingers he loved so well.

"_It's ok Tams… Just ignore him…He just recognises a beautiful woman when he sees one…"_

He continued to murmur soothing and reassuring words to her, as an attempt to quench the fire of her pernicious rage. He knew that after a hard day of eliminating mutant insects, tolerating cowering co -workers and fighting through desolate wasteland, his wife would often return home like a tightly coiled spring, fit to burst at any moment and as her devoted husband, it was his job to help her unwind after such trauma. However, the events of the evening were definitely making his job harder than normal and naturally, Felix felt that everything was conspiring against them. What was supposed to be a romantic celebratory dinner was turning into a disaster date – in his opinion. They had already been waiting almost half an hour for their dinners, put up with insulting members of staff and now to top it off, some inebriated twit actually had the nerve to whistle at Tamora. Could things possibly get any worse?

He carried on crooning, trying to calm her down. Despite being a half of her size, Felix was highly protective of his wife and often experienced pangs of jealously when he happened to catch another fellow attempting to flirt with her. It came as no surprise to him that some would risk having their teeth knocked out just to make eye contact with the attractive commander – to him, she was simply perfection amplified. Frequently, he had been forced to heal injuries inflicted by the stern sergeant on account of someone overstepping the line. Over the year they had been together, Felix had learnt that it was best to quell his jealous feelings quickly and instead channel his energies into ensuring his wife didn't make anyone game over – for good.

Tamora blinked a few times, before releasing a small sigh. Glancing down into the worried countenance of her partner, she stretched a somewhat artificial smile across her lips. Truth be told, she was fed up – well and truly fed up. Putting on a performance for those young humans during gaming hours was one thing, but having to continue the façade in her private life… there was only so much the poor woman could take in one day and she had just about reached her limits. So when some random, obviously intoxicated stranger started to whistle at her, it just about put the icing on the cake.

She was trying her best to hide her dinner date dismay from Felix – the last thing she wanted was for him to witness her disappointment. As fearless and courageous a leader she was during game play, she couldn't bear the thought of upsetting her little handyman. He had gone through so much trouble just to secure these blasted dinner reservations. Running a thoughtful hand through her blonde bangs, she started musing to herself.

"_Perhaps I'm over reacting… maybe things aren't as bad as they seem…Felix seems happy enough…mind you, he's nearly always got that great big goofy smile plastered across his face… Gah! How is physically possible to be that adorable?..."_

She was brought quite suddenly out of her reverie, by a low pitched growling sound. By sheer instinct, the startled sergeant immediately began to scrutinise the room, searching for the origins of the mysterious noise.

_Grrrrrrrrrrrr!_

This time those deep reverberations seemed louder and closer than before, and as the fair haired commander was still trying to deduce the source of those somewhat muffled grumblings, she happened to make eye contact with her husband, who was shifting sheepishly round in his seat. It didn't take long for the quick thinking sergeant to put both the embarrassed handyman and the stifled groans together. Biting her lip, she tried to subdue a small chuckle as she realised her own stupidity.

It was Felix's stomach.

_GRRRRRRRROOOOOOWWWWW!_

The uncomfortable looking handyman patted his tummy self-consciously, as if attempting to physically dampen its angry rumblings. However, it seemed like his little eight-bit organ had a mind of its own, thus it refused to quieten down. Tamora was trying her best to supress her school girl giggles, as she watched her mortified mate trying to cover up his stomachs incessant mumblings. Discomfited, his cheeks were growing redder by the second and Tamora shook her head in knowing disbelief. It was such a trifling matter, but only Felix would make such a mountain out of a molehill – mind you, in fairness to him, that molehill was sounding more like a volcano on the verge of erupting!

With a face the same shade as a beetroot, Felix finally decided to make a comment with regards to his disconcerting problem.

"_Golly Tammy…I'm so sorry. It's just… the last player I had today was determined to complete each round, without me eating any pies…. and then….I didn't want to spoil my appetite for this evening… and – and… I think I'm experiencing the side effects!"_

Obviously very flustered, the little handyman babbled uncontrollably whilst trying to excuse his impatient stomach. He would have continued his long winded apology, were it not for his military missus laying a finger across his lips. Gazing up into her sparkling cerulean eyes, he relaxed and stopped jabbering, having recognised her silencing techniques. Still smirking, Tamora replied to the concerned superintendent.

"_No need to apologise for being __**hungry **__Fix it"_

She laid extra emphasis on that one word, so that any members of staff that happened to be within earshot, would witness her dissatisfaction with their services. Felix winced, knowing full well why she had chosen to highlight that particular lexis. Tamora scanned the area, hoping at any moment a dim-witted assistant would suddenly emerge out of nowhere with their dinners. Heck, she was starving and it continued to baffle her how Felix's intestinal mumblings had managed to supersede her own. Clutching her abdomen, she attempted to hush her own griping gut –nonetheless, this proved a most ineffectual method. Grimacing internally, she felt those resounding grumblings deep within her code. After her emergency parameter check, she barely had time to get dressed, let alone grab a quick snack and given the number of times she had actually worn this type of attire, dressing took a lot longer than she had anticipated. Crossing her legs and leaning her elbows on her table, she tried to take her mind off that horrible hollow sensation down below. Between them, they had already polished off the basket of crispy white rolls and were now eagerly awaiting their main course. The bread had only served to take the edge off their hunger and by now, she was simply ravenous. She even tried imagining how good it would finally be, to tuck into that succulent, medium rare, tenderised cut of steak. But as to be expected, this only increased her voracious cravings tenfold.

Felix knew it wasn't doing either of them any good to sit and dwell on their famished feelings, so he resolved to think of a distraction for them. Racking his brains, he endeavoured to search for a subject which could provide them with a lively conversation. However, this was proving to be more difficult than first thought – especially when Tamora decided to embed another concern into his already over aught mind.

"_I'm sure looking forward to getting back to a nice, tidy organised home – my men could really take a leaf out of your book. Maybe then we wouldn't have to do so many emergency Cybug clean up sessions_."

It was all Felix could do to stop himself choking on an ill-timed mouthful of water. There was another problem he had forgotten to add to the equation. In all the excitement, he had overlooked one minor, but significant detail.

He had left a bumbling wrecker and a hyped up candy whirlwind to clean up the mess, **they** themselves had caused!

As he was struggling to rid his air passages of their recent aquatic intrusion, frightening images were being conjured up before his eyes – visions of the clumsy wrecker accidently destroying their fine china collection and the miniature President knocking various precarious items off the shelf with an elongated feather duster. It was any wonder the frazzled handyman didn't break down there and then!

Tamora began patting Felix on the back, hoping to put a stop to his choking. But unbeknownst to the high ranking commander, his physical gagging was only half of the problem – for these imaginary hallucinations had already began to plague the fraught Felix. The whole episode actually worked in Felix's favour, for choking provided him with the perfect opportunity to avoid answering his wife. Taking a deep breath, he at last became master of his mentality once again and could get rid of his choking cover. He had resolved not to tell Tamora that he had left his two best friends in charge of cleaning their home – instead, he simply hoped that the pair would be gone by the time they returned and that they might actually have got rid of the worst of the mess. After all, it was mainly the living areas they had wreaked their untidy havoc. Felix had left the bedroom in a pristine condition, having spent so much time perfecting his appearance in there. If he had only known about Vanellope's recent escapades in that room, he undoubtedly wouldn't have been able to sit quite as calmly as he was now.

Tamora began to rub soothing circles across his back.

"_You alright pintsize?"_

Clearing his formerly clogged throat, he feigned a small smile.

"_Just *cough* dandy Ma'm"_

He hated concealing his true concerns from her, but he figured from the way their evening had so far played out, the last thing she wanted to know was that the fate of their house was in the enormous hands of a wrecker and his feisty little assistant. The two did not bode well together.

Just then, he had a brainwave. Quite frankly, he wondered why the thought hadn't occurred to him before. Probably because he already knew what the answer to his question was going to be. At least he thought he did…

_"Oh well…_ _What have I got to lose?"_

Straightening up, he decided to pursue the answer, although he was pretty much counting on a negative response. Rising from his chair, he stooped down low and placed a chivalrous kiss upon his wife's dainty gloved hand. Tamora looked slightly taken aback for a moment, before she suddenly cottoned on to what he was about to ask her. Gazing earnestly into her mystified face, he at last found the courage and the words to present his supplication. Somewhat timidly, he put forward his petition.

"_M'lady, would you honour me with a dance?"_

**-WIR-**

**A/N: Aren't cliffhangers just awesome? I guess you will just have to stick with me if you want to find out whether Tamora agrees to dance or if they ever get their dinner… Dun dun dun! **

**Again, sorry it wasn't very exciting… but I did think Felix with a rumbly tummy was kinda cute :)**

**Don't forget to leave me a review – I really really appreciate your feedback**

**Honeyglows abounding! x**


	11. I don't feel like dancin'

**A/N: Hi guys! I'm so sorry for making you wait so long for the next instalment – fortunately, Freshers week at Uni has given me the time necessary to complete this chapter…Before you say it, no… I don't go out… Most adventurous thing I have done this week was to go to a tea, or "чай"** **(Char) party at the Russian society – LOL! We all have our preferences….**

**Anyhow, to reward your patience, this chapter is double the length of my normal instalments. I would have split it up into two chapters, meaning a quicker update, but I promised ****_Rocky Rooster_**** Ralph and Vanellope would return after chapter 11. **

**_Emmz: _****Happy incredibly belated birthday hun! I hope you enjoyed your day and if you did go out, you weren't kept waiting like poor Felix and Tamora. It has happened to me lots too – the worst tummy rumblings I have ever had was when I sat my Spanish 3 hour exam this summer. Writing non-stop 9-12, my stomach hated me!**

**_Music Lover: _****I am being very cruel to Felix *evil chuckle* Thank you so much for your compliments and I'm glad you are enjoying the story. As for Tamora's reaction… you'll have to wait and see :D**

**Here it is for your enjoyment**

**-WIR-**

"_M'lady, would you honour me with a dance?"_

Silence

The look on Tamora's face might as well have spelt "_Dream on sad act!" _Felix's own face fell – he knew it was a drop in the ocean asking his no nonsense sergeant to join him in a waltz and the expression written across her countenance was the living proof of his ill-judged assumption. Bracing himself for her harsh, "Are you completely out of your mind?" reply, Felix wondered if he had heard correctly, when a gruff monosyllabic quip seemed to tell him otherwise.

"_Alright…"_

Felix stood completely baffled for a moment, almost shaking his head in disbelief.

_Did she really just agree to dance? This is so unlike Tammy… I thought she would have laughed at the idea…_

Tamora smirked, bemused by her husband's reaction, as she watched the dumbfounded handyman trying to figure out whether his ears needed a thorough wash. Under normal circumstances, she would have refuted the offer, on the grounds of avoiding the consequent embarrassment which would inevitably ensue. But after absorbing her husband's puppy dog expression, she realised she didn't have the heart to refuse.

If Tamora was honest, she did enjoy dancing. Her gaming environment had enabled her to develop lightening reflexes, impeccable timing and a whole range of other skills, which could easily be transferred to the dancing domain. She had danced several times at some of the _Niceland _parties, but had never really shown anybody the impressive moves she had formulated from her game play. Truth be told, she was afraid of losing the respect her title and position afforded her. She didn't have anything to worry about this evening though – that was certainly not the kind of dancing Felix had in mind. In all honesty, she wasn't really in the mood for an enchanting, ¾ time ballroom dance, but it would certainly take her mind off her insatiable hunger. Plus, it would mean the world to her adorable little handyman, who never passed up an opportunity to show off his beauteous prize. She would humour him – it's not like they had anything else to do other than dwell on their empty stomachs.

By now, Felix's surprise had been replaced with an enormous goofy smile – the kind a small child gets when stroking a fluffy kitten or puppy. She arose from her chair and allowed the small handyman to lead her to the adjoining ballroom. Trying to assume her normal air of confidence wasn't easy, for as restrictive and bulky her everyday battle gear was, Tamora found it far more difficult to move in the same self-assured manner in her floor length dress. One might even go as far to say as there was a hint of nervousness about her persona – she was certainly not used to dressing in this manner, let alone dancing. Thus for once in her life, she was more than willing to let Felix assume command.

The luxurious ballroom was part of the _EZ Livin _restaurant complex and was literally all of a hundred feet from where they were supposed to be dining, but for the uncomfortable sergeant, there might as well have been a mile between the two separate areas. It didn't help her self confidence that her elegant presentation was causing several heads to towards them. She tried her best to ignore the looks of admiration flooding her way, but it was becoming increasingly more difficult for the fair haired commander as they weaved their way through a mass of other diners. Her presentation was evoking several gasps of awe from around the room and many jaws continued to drop on behalf of the lovely lady. At this point in time, Tamora was feeling particularly sick. She had often wondered what Vanellope had meant by the term "vurp", but if it was anything like what she was experiencing at the moment, she wasn't surprised how the phrase came into being. The intrepid leader was aware that this nauseous sensation could be partly blamed on her hunger, but she also knew the problem ran deeper than lack of physical nourishment. Much as she was ashamed to acknowledge it, some of her queasiness arose from that natural emotion, the tough as nails sergeant preferred to keep bottled up and away from the public eye.

_Fear_

The headstrong individual would never admit to anyone, that sometimes even she of all people fell victim to that four letter word. Having built a reputation for herself, based on the respect gained from her simpering squadron and other working acquaintances, she simply couldn't afford to lose it – in least of all circumstances, during a simple ballroom dance.

Nevertheless, our daring leader was prepared to brush her own giddy feelings under the rug, for the sake of her besotted husband. The joyous little handyman simply couldn't believe his luck – his very own military missus had just agreed to dance! After all the trouble they had already experienced this evening, the cloud of misfortune just seemed to have lifted for a moment, to allow the two lovers to enjoy each other's company. Bright eyed and beaming happily, Felix was practically dragging the taller woman through to the dance floor. Tamora couldn't help but allow a small smile to spread across her lips, as she felt herself being pulled along by the enthusiastic superintendent. He was so easy to please.

Having meandered fairly quickly through the restaurant section, the pair at last found themselves in the ballroom. The scene unfolding before them was almost magical. Beautiful crystal chandeliers were hanging from the ceiling, their precious gemstones casting small beams of light across the room. Strings of dainty fairy lights were entwined around huge marble pillars, twinkling gently like the star light. Several tall vases stood stationary at the bases of these columns, with an array of exotic blooms displaying their wares for all to see. A small group of musicians sat perched upon a raised stage, poised and ready for action. It was truly a sight to behold.

The pair stood at the top of a small flight of stairs leading downwards to the glinting polished floor. Tamora was leaning against a gold plated hand rail, admiring the intricately ornamented roof, when a thought just suddenly popped into her mind. Gazing across the room at the other dancers, moving hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, she bit her lip in exasperation. Previously, she had been overwhelmed by the sheer magnificence of the sight before them, but now as she stood contemplating the other couples twirling round the room, cold harsh reality reared its ugly mug and Tamora remembered a small, but important obstacle which would undoubtedly prevent the pair from performing the same ritualistic movements as the other dancers.

_Their height differences_

Tamora ran a thoughtful hand through her sable blonde mane, wondering how she might break the unfortunate news to her eager husband. Surely he must have realised that their variation in stature would make it incredibly difficult for the pair to dance. Then again, this was Felix she was talking about – the sort of guy who would rush into a dangerous first person shooter game, alone and unarmed, in order to save his friend. Act first, think later – that just about summarised the way Tamora's little handyman worked. It was certainly how Ralph and Vanellope had become involved in mission clean it. If the little protagonist had only taken a moment to mull things over, he would never have left the lethal pair in charge of cleaning their home. However, Tamora was still unaware of their little arrangement and Felix planned to keep it this way. Right now, she was still trying to figure out how to inform the infatuated handyman of their height predicament, without upsetting him too much. Tamora couldn't bear the thought of Felix having his hopes dashed, but the poor woman couldn't physically think of a solution to their awkward problem. Somewhat hesitantly, she began to speak.

"_Umm… Felix"_

The besotted hero turned to face his wife.

"_Yes, my love"_

The way he was gazing so adoringly up towards her made it all the harder for Tamora to continue.

"_I was just wondering…y'know…how on earth we… I mean, you and I… are going to… err…do this whole dance thingy… what with height and all…"_

The normally verbose sergeant stuttered uncontrollably, as she struggled to find the right words to frame this embarrassing situation. Flustered, she could feel her face grower hotter by the second as she attempted to explain their elevated dilemma. Much as she loved being married to the eighth dwarf, it made things like dancing that bit harder.

Felix's look of concern changed immediately into a broad grin, once he had sussed what his dynamite gal was trying to say. Smugly, he motioned for her to cease her speech and slowly reached into his pocket. Tamora eyed the small handyman suspiciously as he pulled out a curious looking vial from underneath the folds of his jacket. Inside this intriguing glass vessel was a peculiar red liquid, which having been awakened by Felix's slight movement, was now sloshing back and forwards. Puzzled, Tamora was on the verge of asking Felix whether he had been bombarded with too many bricks today, when he at last, he provided her with a full and confident explanation.

"_The other day, Mario and I put our heads together and came up with this little concoction, Tams. Its main ingredient is the famed arcade fungus, the red super mushroom. Once I ingest this juice, I will gain a greater stature, which will enable us to dance with greater freedom and mobility"_

Tamora was rendered speechless for a moment, from the recent surge of information and Felix's unusually loquacious reply. Shaking her head in disbelief, she realised she had underestimated the eager handyman – he had planned this right from the start and must have been counting on a positive response from her, so he could put his well thought out plan into action. She couldn't quite fathom the fact that he had put so much time and effort into developing this mysterious elixir, just so he could dance with his beloved. If she had refused to participate in such activity, all his efforts would have been in vain and she would never have known, as Felix would never pressurise her into doing anything she didn't feel comfortable with. Bending over, she lightly pecked the little hero on the cheek and watched a charming blush creep into his rosy cheeks.

"_You really do think of everything, don't you Fix it?"_

He beamed up at his lady love, pleased with her reaction to his ingenious solution. However, the tall solider detected a certain amount of unease about his demeanour. She supposed he was slightly apprehensive about swallowing the strange mixture, so she decided not to press the issue. Little did she know her words had made Felix realise he hadn't thought of everything – if he had, he would have never left a sugar crazed little girl and a ham handed demolisher to clean up their house. He shuddered at the thought and pulled the cork out of tiny container. He had spent quite a while with the Italian moustached marvel, trying to work out correct volumes and ratios; ergo, he sincerely hoped all their chemical endeavours would pay off. A pungent aroma seemed to be rising from the ampoule, wafting uninvitingly up the superintendent's nostrils. Felix gaged reflexively in response to the unpalatable odour – truthfully, he hated the smell and taste of mushrooms, but he had resolved to grin and bear it, for the sake of a waltz with his lovely lady. Screwing up his face, he raised the bottle to his lips, mentally chanting to himself.

"_Over the teeth, past the gums, I'm sorry stomach, but here it comes!"_

Having prepared himself, he proceeded to chug the foul tasting liquid. As soon as that unpleasant fluid had slipped down his throat, he could feel a strange tingly sensation start to emerge from the pit of his stomach and spread quickly through his small frame. Alarmed, he ran a worried hand over his abdomen, wishing he had tested the miraculous solution in private, before attempting to use it in public. The tingling sensation quickly escalated and the concerned handyman yelped in surprise, as he felt every fibre of his 8-bit code suddenly start to stretch. Tamora's eyes widened in shock, as the pixelating form of her husband started glitching uncontrollably. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea after all. Just as Felix was beginning to wish he had never tried to tamper with the delicacies of height, the stinging sensation came to an abrupt end and he watched as the floor seem to become more distant. He turned to Tamora and realised he could look her straight in the eye, rather than craning his neck upwards just to catch a glimpse of her beautiful face.

"_Jiminy Jaminy… It worked"_

Mumbling, he held his enlarged palms up to his face in disbelief. Tamora smirked, watching her little wide eyed innocent take in his new altitude. Linking her arm in his and holding the edge of her dress, she whispered into his ear.

"_Height it only the physical measure of a man, Fix It – it doesn't equate to who you are on the inside. Don't make a habit of changing it – I love you just the way you are, pintsize"_

For Felix, those simple words meant the world to him and they may as well have been manna falling from heaven. He had often thought his short stature was nothing but an inconvenience to his lofty wife and wondered whether after she had witnessed the effects of the mystical mixture, she would want him to use the substance more often – this new elevation certainly made him feel more of a man, than a midget. However, to witness the gruff sergeant say she loved him regardless of his diminutive size, was one of the most reassuring things he could ever hope to hear.

With a quick move of his hand, he jerked her towards him and reeled her in for a full blown kiss. Pleasantly surprised, she willingly melted into her husband's sudden embrace, wrapping her arms round his head. She loved the spontaneity of such affection and returned his passionate kiss. Both individuals would have been more than happy to continue their intense lip locking, but the dance floor was beckoning them. After their reluctant parting, Felix entangled his arm in her own and led her carefully down the marbled staircase. The musicians had just started playing a gentle waltz, as the couple stepped onto the gleaming floor. The pianist began playing some progressive arpeggiated chords, his fingers dancing daintily over the ivory keys. A selection of stringed instruments quickly followed his lead, their accompanying harmony complimenting the graceful melody.

Having reached their destination, Tamora immediately began shuffling round uncomfortably, unsure of what to do next. The only thing she was truly sure about, were the other couples, some of which had ceased dancing, to inspect the new presences in the room. She stared at the floor, trying to ignore the other characters. A single finger was laced under her chin and she was forced to shift her gaze to the tall, blue eyed handyman before her. Not a word passed between them, as he swept the blonde veil obscuring her expression to one side and tucked it tenderly behind her ear. She shuddered as she felt his gloved hand come to rest on her upper back. Following his example, she placed a wary hand upon his shoulder and took his other hand in hers. Felix took a moment just to admire the beautiful woman before him – she felt so perfect in his arms. Her eyes, a glimmering azure of lapis lazuli were sparkling under chandeliers gentle glow. The normally rosy hue about her face had been replaced by a sudden flush of colour and he could sense her nervousness from the way she was fluttering her curled ebony eyelashes. Reassuringly, he drew her closer to him and she in response tightened her grip round her partner. For a moment, it felt almost as if the world around them had just faded away and they were the only two individuals left in existence. Then, they danced.

Their eyes maintained constant contact, as they glided gracefully across the room, wrapped in each other's embrace. Tamora was incredibly light on her feet, despite being one of the taller characters and the fancy footwork she had developed during game play was becoming increasingly evident as they continued to dance. Felix also had a natural aptitude for such movement, after thirty years of dodging bricks and leaping across apartments; so between them, they were evenly matched in terms of ability. However, although most of their steps fell more or less in unison, Tamora's apprehensiveness and Felix's newly developed height, did make for the occasional error. Numerous times, Felix had almost trodden on Tamora's toes, as he struggled to come to terms with the length of his legs and at the same time, she had been hesitant in fulfilling some actions. Thus, their dancing was far from being perfect, but in their eyes it didn't matter and as time went by, they only continued to improve with each step.

So far, they had been silent, focussing solely on their movement, but now their confidence had developed and Felix attempted to strike up a conversation.

"_So… you come here often sweetie?"_

He grinned cheekily, whilst spinning Tamora round. Using her husband as an anchor, she daringly stuck out a stretch pose, before being returning to his arms. Smirking, she deliberately stepped on his foot and watched the audacious handyman squeak in surprise.

"_I'd be careful if I were you sunshine – I'm a married woman"_

Continuing their little charade, she twirled round once again, her long, trailing gown rising and falling with each spin. There was no doubt about it, she looked absolutely stunning in that figure hugging dress, as it clung to her slender hour glass figure, whilst setting off her voluptuous curves. The black silky material billowed with every twist, making the sergeant appear as if she was floating through the air. Grinning from ear to ear, Felix persisted with their whimsical role play and quickened their pace. He feigned a small sigh.

"_Well, I'm sure he must be one lucky guy"_

His tone was dripping with the utmost sincerity and Tamora bit her lip, as she struggled to maintain a straight face. Twirling back towards the handyman, she crossed her arms over, so she was enclosed within his loving grip. Tilting her head towards him, she murmured softly.

"_I'd be truly flattered, if that's the way he felt"_

No longer able to carry on with their façade, Felix looked as if he was fit to burst, as the honeyglow's spread like wild fire across his already rosy cheeks. He pressed her closer to him and she in turn nuzzled into the crook of his neck, eliciting a shudder of delight from the affectionate brunette. They rocked back and forth, locked in each other's embrace, her dress swishing gently with their oscillating motion. Realising her from his warm hold, she whirled round elegantly – it was hard to believe that this was the same tough as nails sergeant, pirouetting gracefully across the floor. If her men ever caught her doing anything like this, she knew she would never live it down.

The speed of their box step escalated, as the pair became more daring in their physical expressions. Hooking her arm round Felix's neck, she held her breath as he lifted her off the floor and spun her round. Tamora felt as if she was literally floating on the wings of love, the experience was just exhilarating. Felix just kept smiling from ear to ear and it was any wonder his cheek muscles weren't drooping from working overtime.

Setting her gently down, they continued their waltz. Eyes only for each other, they weren't even aware of the other couples participating in the dance. The only occasional interruption was the rumbly of a grumbly hungry tummy and this made both individuals giggle. The tune seemed to be coming to a close, as the dynamics softened and the tempo entered into a process of slowing down. Recognising the end of their dance was drawing near, Felix quickly jerked his wife downwards, catching her in his ready hand. Surprised by his boldness, Tamora smiled, remembering the same gesture they had finished their vows with a year ago. Felix began to close the gap between them and Tamora closed her eyes, anticipating the magical moment the two were about to share.

Just as he was he was about to deliver the awaited kiss, he felt a hulking mass suddenly ram into the back of his leg. Unsurprisingly, Felix was caught off guard by the impact of said collision and wobbled precariously, attempting to steady himself. Unfortunately, in doing so, his hold on Tamora slackened. One minute she was looking forward to a passionate kiss, the next she felt herself physically falling through space.

Thump!

Opening her eyes, Tamora barely had chance to come to terms with what had happened, before Felix started fussing and fawning over her.

"_Tammy! I'm so so sorry honey… are you hurt?... do you think you have broken anything_?... _Oh Tams, baby… talk to me"._

Shakily, she looked into the worried countenance of her partner and allowed him to help her to her feet. Brushing herself down, she wondered what on earth had caused her to fall. Suddenly, she noticed Felix had begun glitching uncontrollably once again, pixels circulating round his blurry form. Alarmed, she forgot about her bruised behind and her head became filled only with thoughts of her beloved.

Felix could see the look of distress about his wife's face, but he himself had no idea what was going on. It felt as if every strand, every thread of his entire 8-bit code was being compressed. Out of breath, he clutched his head; this feeling of constriction was making it spin. Glancing down, he was sure this dizzying sensation must be deceiving him, for the floor seemed much closer than before. Then it suddenly dawned upon the handyman what was the cause of this strange development.

Super mushrooms.

In all his excitement, Felix had forgotten that when the moustached marvel Mario consumes one these extraordinary fungi, he only maintains this level of elevation if he manages to avoid all potential threats. It was universally acknowledged that when the Italian hero suffers a blow from one of his many nemeses, he returns to his normal size. Of course, Felix had been aware of this when concocting the curious solution, but he had momentarily banished it to a far way part of his mind, preferring to think of the wonderful evening ahead of them. However, he was now faced with cold harsh reality, as the effects of the elixir wore off and he began to shrink rapidly. Dismayed, he turned to face his anxious partner, but instead of catching her gaze, he found himself staring at an enormous silhouette cast onto the floor. Gulping, he glanced over his shoulder to find a broad, beefy local looming over him. The man flashed him a wide toothy grin.

"_Sorry about that mate. I guess I mustn't have been looking where I was dancing – y'know how it is with these fast paced pieces"_

Slightly baffled, Felix regarded this fellow – they had been dancing to a slow paced, andante waltz; how was this classed as something requiring rowdy and rigorous movement? Nonetheless, Felix simply smiled up at him – as far as he was concerned there was no need to provoke any further troubles, even though this man had caused him to **_drop_** his lovely wife on the floor.

"_That is quite alright sir…I"_

Felix barely had chance to respond before he was interrupted.

"_Say… weren't you taller a second ago? I must have given you quite a shove there…"_

The man rubbed his stubbly unshaven chin, whilst eying up the diminutive handyman. Felix sighed, before attempting an explanation. However, this time he didn't have time to say a word before this chap started laughing.

"_Ha ha ha… you must be a real weakling to go down a couple of sizes, from a tiny little push"_

Felix had realised by this point that there was no sense in reasoning with this man – he wouldn't even listen to an explanation for the change in his height, let alone accept one. Humiliated, he decided to be the bigger man and let this fellows insults just roll right off his shoulder. Felix was a pacifist, not a fighter and though he wouldn't hesitate to defend the ones he loved, he figured this was a battle not worth fighting. Unfortunately, Tamora was not of the same opinion. Having just seen her husband being pushed around by some inconsiderate jerk, she was not going let him get away with his heinous comments – Felix may well do, but she wouldn't. If she had been wearing sleeves, she would have undoubtedly rolled them up, as she started mumbling some unintelligible curse words. Luckily, before she had chance to deck this man's halls, Felix came between the two of them and prevented any further damages.

"_Come on darling… I'll wager our dinner is waiting"_

He quickly led the highly irate commander away from the area, not wishing to cause a scene. Cursing inwardly, she sent a last glowering scowl in his direction and walked out of the room, hand in hand with her husband. Even then, she was pretty certain she could still here his booming hearty laugh resounding through the hall.

Arriving at their table, they were disappointed to find yet again no dinner, not even a complimentary note of apology for their delay. Felix could sense Tamora's anger from the way she had hold of his hand, unintentionally crushing it in her vice like grip. He hurriedly racked his brains, thinking of a way to distract his annoyed missus. Politely, he pulled out her chair and motioned for her to sit down.

"_How about I go get us something to drink at the bar? What would you like Tams?"_

Still murmuring some incomprehensible obscenities, she seemed to be ignoring his question.

"_Tams?"_

Sighing, she knew she couldn't evade his gaze and question any longer. Staring up into baby blue eyes, she replied.

"_I could really go for a Bloody Mary"_

Felix's jaw dropped in horror upon hearing such words.

"_Really Tammy… I know you are upset, but is there any need to …"_

_"IT'S A COCKTAIL FIX IT!"_

She unleashed an exasperated groan, before running her fingers through her short blonde bangs. Slightly taken aback by her sudden outburst, Felix took off like speeding hare towards the bar, figuring that she may calm down if he just left her alone for a moment.

Musing to herself, she felt guilty about letting out her frustrations on him. It wasn't the handyman's fault that they had been insulted, humiliated and starved - these were all courtesy of the _EZ Livin_ staff and locals. Sighing, she straightened her throbbing back, wondering if a deft tap of her husband's hammer would put an end to her aching spine. Again, he hadn't meant to drop her, but when one is knocked over by a boorish swine, it can't really be helped. Some evening this was turning out to be. Whilst she was contemplating all that had happened so far, a waitress approached their table with two steaming dishes, the smoke obscuring her expression from the annoyed sergeant. Plonking the platters on the table, she announced the arrival of their supposedly sumptuous meals.

"_One steak and one Rigatoni al funghi. Enjoy your meal."_

Her lack of interest in her job, was evidenced by the way in which her monotonous message was delivered and the speed she disappeared afterwards. To a certain extent, Tamora was thankful for her swift escape – she was certainly in no mood to be cordial, but at the same time, the staff were obliged to hear any further requests from their customers. Their appalling service was really starting to get on the commanders nerves. Exhaling loudly, Tamora wondered whether it was her hunger starting to get the better of her and decided to tuck into her food before anything else happened. After all, an empty stomach can wreak havoc upon ones thoughts. But then she actually looked down at her plate.

Instead of finding a juicy, tenderised cut of meat, she was faced with a dry, sad looking hunk of what was supposed to be her dinner. A small amount of peppery sauce seemed to have been dribbled hastily over the steak, as an attempt to disguise its inedible appearance. Tamora sniffed in disgust, prodding the meat with her fork. Disappointedly, she then turned to the salad. The allegedly "fresh" green leaves were browning at the edges, the tomatoes were practically mush and quite frankly, the cucumber looked like it had seen better days. Placing a forkful into her mouth, she gagged and it was all she could do to prevent herself spitting it out. Swallowing slowly, it was any wonder the poor woman had any appetite left. Having been let down with her choice, she examined Felix's pasta. The sloppy dish looked about unappetizing as her own and an unpalatable aroma accompanied its revolting presentation. She pulled the dish towards her, in order to have a closer look. Just as she was about to sample this "gourmet" Italian cuisine, she sensed a strange presence hovering around her. She twisted round, just as someone sat down in Felix's chair.

"_Well hellooo there…"_

Tamora turned sharply to face the intruder.

"_As far as the menu goes, I know what I'm in the mood for tonight - something hot and tasty"_

His suggestive comments were virtually gushing from his enormous mouth, as he beamed at the beautiful woman. Tamora flashed her eyes in indignation. She had endured poor service, wolf whistling, mockery on her husband's part, abominable cooking – but this, **this** was the final straw. Clenching her fists in annoyance, she could feel her binary boiling, as her aversion to this ardent admirer began to rise up deep within her code. Inevitably, Felix would have found a way to calm her down, but he wasn't here – he was still fetching their drinks. Steam may as well have been pouring out of her ears, but this persistent lady-killer seemed completely oblivious to her obvious annoyance. For all she knew, it could have been the same person, who was whistling before. It was then she had a brilliant thought. Channelling her frustration and negative energy, she fluttered her eyelashes and put on her sweetest, most sickly smile of the evening. Cooing softly and running her tongue o'er her lips, she replied to the impertinent womanizer.

"_Well, I guess you better open wide!"_

This sleazy gentlemen appeared pleasantly surprised, as he leaned over the table, eyes closed, lips puckered.

Bingo!

She had him right where she wanted him, in the palm of her hand. Carefully, she picked up Felix's pasta dish, positioned it accordingly and unleashed all her fury, all her frustration, all her indignation in a single, well aimed throw.

**_SPPPPPLLLLLAAAATTT!_**

The resounding squelch was sweet music to her ears, as she watched the creamy sauce oozing down his face and flooding into his lap. Being a reputable leader, she knew violent retaliation wasn't always the key to resolving conflicts, but her spontaneous action had felt so damn good and indubitably, he deserved it. Satisfied, she gave herself an imaginary pat on the back as she admired her handiwork. Unfortunately, she had overlooked the fact that they were in the middle of a restaurant and that this man was now extremely cross. Wiping the sticky substance off his face, he started hollering.

"_SECURITY!"_

UHHH OHHH

Tamora wanted nothing more than to pummel this man for his flirtatious behaviour and now his meagre attempt to bring her to justice, but heads were already starting to turn towards them and making someone game over **_for good _**was just something she didn't want to mark her very first wedding anniversary with. She was debating her course of action, when suddenly a little voice piped up from nowhere.

"_I got the drinks Tam- Oh my land, what happened here?"_

The small handyman appeared, full glasses in hand and a smile stretched out across his face, but his joviality soon came to an end upon spotting the man covered head to toe in Rigatoni pasta. He placed the drinks down gently on the table, gazing questioningly at his military missus. Tamora wasted no time in raising the vodka infested cocktail to her lips and quickly swigging it down. With a satisfactory sigh, she set her empty glass down on the table and placed a celery stick in the corner of her mouth. Seizing Felix's hand, she took off through the restaurant, practically dragging the dazed superintendent behind her. Felix barely had chance to take a breath, as they speedily made their way through the maze of unending corridors. It was hard to believe Tamora had previously had difficulties moving in the elegant ball gown from the way she was rocketing through those labyrinth like passages. Felix starting protesting in vain, as they approached the outlet of _Extreme EZ Livin' 2._

"_But what about our dinner?"_

Tamora grimaced slightly and momentarily removed the celery stick from her mouth.

"_Don't worry hun, I know of some place that does __**much **__better food and the service is first class"_

Felix's eyes lit up at the prospect of first rate service and fine cuisine, as he too had been disappointed so far this evening. But one thing still puzzled him.

_Where on earth could have a better dining reputation than EZ Livin'?"_

**-WIR-**

**A/N: Phew! That was a toughie to write! I had to watch so many ballroom dancing videos on YouTube before planning this scene and I know I didn't use the technical terms correctly, but I'm not a dancer. Ralph and Vanellope are set to appear next time, but don't worry, Hero's Cuties will return soon. Maybe I went OTT with their dreadful dinner, but I wanted to wind Tamora up (in preparation for later on) *evil laugh***

**Don't forget to leave me a nice review – I love hearing from you guys!**

**Honeyglows abounding! x**


End file.
